Jammu, July 25:  The critical situation emerging from the highly less monsoon has sent alarm bells ringing in the administration and the farmers of the state who fear a major drop in the kharif crop production this year. 
 Sources in Agriculture Production department informed Greater Kashmir that due to deficit monsoon so far, only 20-25 percent sowing of major Kharif crop, paddy has been done due to poor irrigation facilities.
  “Most of the area of   Jammu province is rainfed and depends on rain for cultivation of crops including Paddy but so far only 20-25 percent sowing of paddy has been done by farmers, while the nurseries of paddy are also turning pale due to excess heat and deficit rainfall  ” they said.
 By  the end of July month, they said, around 70-80 percent paddy crop was sown by farmers in Jammu region but this season majority of the farmers of paddy grown belt of Jammu region including Akhnoor, RS Pura, Bishnah, Samba, Hiranagar, Kathua and others have not done the seedling  till date.
 They further said that even in hilly and arid region of Jammu province, the maize crop was also turning pale and if there would be no rains in coming days, there would be a total failure of these crops in these areas.
 Sources further said that usually if the damage to crop would be around 60 % then the region would be declared as drought hit. “If the dry spell  will continue in coming days  , the farmers will not be in a condition to sow crops and there will be a total Kharief crop failure in  the state .
 If the figures showing the rainfall recorded in last two months -- in May, Jammu experienced only 9 mm of rainfall against the normal rainfall of 24 mm which was 62.50 percent less while in the month of June, only 11 mm of rainfall was recorded against 89.3 mm which was 87.69 percent less than the normal.
  “In the month of July till date there is around 54 percent deficit rainfall experienced in Jammu till July 23” sources said, adding that this sort of monsoon spell will ultimately push the state towards drought like situation.
 Deputy Director of Agriculture Production department Ashok Malhotra said that there were reports about damage to standing crop of paddy in hilly areas, while farmers of paddy grown areas of Jammu region were also waiting for rains. He further said that if the dry spell experienced so far would continue in the days ahead, it would lead to a drought like situation.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST