Baramulla, Aug 6: The drought like situation prevailing at present in the Valley has deepened the concerns among the farming community here fearing negative fallout on the Kharif crop production.
 Experts and farmers said the prolonged dry spell has affected the maize and pulses badly.
 Officials in Agriculture Department said the maize and the pulses crop in the current kharif season is likely to suffer 60-80 per cent loss.
 “Under normal climatic condition we were expecting 19.29 metric ton of maize, and 3.26 metric ton pulses yield. But the continued dry spell is likely to bring down the production by 60 to 80 per cent” said Farooq Ahmmad Kakroo, technical officer, Agriculture Department Baramulla. 
 The paddy crop, according to reports, is also under severe threat.  “If it does not rain in the coming days the paddy crop can suffer heavy damage,” experts said.
 According to reports around 30 per cent of the paddy crop has been badly affected in the areas were irrigation facility is less. “If there is no let up in the heat in the coming days, the crop will suffer further decay,” they said.
 Curiously, the continued dry spell has also affected the fruit in the district. According to reports due to the scanty rains, the size of the apples has reduced. “In some areas the apples are falling down from the tress,” experts said.
 Pertinently, the apple production in the entire north Kashmir remained low last year also, thanks to unsupportive weather conditions. “This year we had great expectation that the production would jump high, but the prolonged dry spell is again threatening the production,” said Fayaz Ahmad of Achabal, Sopore.
 In Kupwara district the maize and the pulses crop has suffered extensive damage.
 Farmers from Lolab area said the entire crop has been badly affected this year due to the dry spell.
 The farmers said that in most of the far-flung areas in the district, the farming community does not have adequate irrigation facilities. “Most of these areas are dependent on the natural water sources and rain,” they said.
 “Since water resources too have started to dry up due to dry spell, the kharif crop this season has been affected badly. Part of the paddy crop may be saved if only there is downpour in the coming downs” said Javid Ahmad of Kupwara, a farmer.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 6 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 6 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 7 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST