Jharkhand stares at uncertainty as winter rain deficit hits Rabi crops

Ranchi: Farmers in Jharkhand, who are yet to recover from the losses incurred during the Kharif season drought, are staring at uncertainty again amid the acute winter rain deficit which is adversely affecting Rabi crops, said officials.

The state received a mere 0.3mm rainfall against the normal average of 41.3mm from November 1 to February 16, according to the weather department.

“Jharkhand faced 100 per cent rain deficit in November, January and February. The situation was slightly better in December with 96 per cent deficit,” said a weather department official.

Scanty rainfall since last year has already impacted Rabi crop sowing, with 35 per cent of the total arable land lying fallow, data shared by the agricultural department revealed.

Rabi crops are usually sown from October to December. In Jharkhand, the exercise continues till mid-January.

“The state recorded 25 per cent surplus rainfall in October but thereafter the weather remained almost dry. Jharkhand did not experience any rain after December 26 last year,” said the in-charge of Ranchi Meteorological Centre, Abhishek Anand.

In the last phase of the monsoon season, the state had received copious rain, prompting the government to increase the target area for Rabi crop sowing to over 15 lakh hectares this year, noted Mukesh Sinha, the deputy director at state agriculture department.

The sowing coverage of main Rabi crops, such as pulses, wheat and oilseeds, however, stood at 10.26 lakh hectares this season, down from 10.98 lakh hectares the year before.

“Acute rainfall deficit since November has impacted the sowing, with a considerable part of the arable land lying fallow. We will review the situation soon and decide on the measures that can be taken to give relief to the farmers, if there is a need,” Sinha told.