HEAVY RAIN RAISES HOPES OF BUMPER PADDY YIELD

CHANDIGARH: The heavy spell of rain over the past three days in Punjab has proved a boon for Kharif crops, particularly paddy. According to the state agriculture department, rain at this time save surface and subsoil water and also helps in better growth of paddy, which was sown or transplanted within the past 15 days to a month.

Punjab agriculture director SS Sidhu the current spell of rain will lead to a bumper yield, as the crop is already set and the showers will act as a catalyst for growth. Paddy crop in most parts of the state is already 30-40 days old.

The south-western corner of the state received low rainfall than the rest of Punjab, but that region does not need irrigation, being a cotton growing area.

“On Tuesday, 70-100 mm rainfall was reported in most parts of the state. It is expected to taper down on Wednesday, when the focus would be on the north Punjab districts of Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur,” said an official of the meteorological department.

“Farmers in north Punjab prefer aromatic basmati over the coarse variety. Basmati grows best under rain, particularly when it is normal and there is no flooding. Wednesday’s rain over basmati crop, which is in the process of being transplanted will give us best results,” said an agriculture department officer.

Paddy is being cultivated on over 30 lakh hectare, of which 5 lakh hectare is the aromatic variety. Rain also brings nitrogen for crops and it help in better growth and shoot development.