Rs 400 crore loss due to drought like situation

Guwahati, Sept 29: Assam has lost 400 crore worth of agricutural product due to the drought like situation and rice production will be down by 15 per cent.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, State Agriculture minister Pramila Rani Brahma said the state for the first time experienced drought like situation in the last 30 years.

Due to low rainfall between June and September, the state experienced drought like situation as against the normal rainfall of 1535 ml in monsoon season, it was 1085 ml in the current year. The state had 29 per cent shortage in rainfall during the monsoon season.

For a state used to recurring flood, it was an unusual situation for the state agriculture department to tackle the drought like situation.

'' We will provide money to irrigation department to revive their existing projects. Best qualities of seeds will be given to farmers.

We have adopted four prong strategies to revive our agriculture sector. This includes goods seeds fertilization, mechanization, pesticides and more credit to farmers'', said Brahma.

Assam does not have a single big functioning irrigation project forcing the villagers to take up the matter in their own hands and they are building check dams in small rivulets to irrigate their field.

The minister said that due to drought like situation, the state would have shortage of 15 per cent of rice production. The department have distributed seeds for crops of winter seasons among affected farmers.

'' Seedlings have been distributed among drought affected farms who have shallow tubewells facilities. Altogether 3,27869 lt. of diesels have been distributed amongst 90425 families covering 36708.4 hectares of land in Sali cultivation'', said the Agriculture minister.

According to state agriculture department , a total of 12, 48,951 families in 19 districts have been affected in the drought like situation.

The minister further said that due to shortage of time and non availability of required seed, the goverment has decided to distribute only 4000 quintals for Rs. 2.32 crores. Under second phase of rabi programmes certified seeds of mustard, wheat , pea , lentil and summer paddy would be supplied soon for Rs. 20 Crore.

Agriculture department has also distributed blackgram seeds and vegetable seeds to the affected farmers.

UNI