Farming activity upbeat as monsoon revives in Goa

, Jul 3: After a dry patch for almost a month, the revival of monsoon has brightened the agricultural prospects in

, officials said today.

"The monsoon is back on track. The rainfall after a dry patch is welcome for the farming activity. The farmers can now go ahead with the sowing of seeds," state Director of Agriculture Prajapati Toofani told PTI. Paddy farming in low lying areas was not a problem, but that at higher levels would have faced difficulty if rains were delayed by another two-three days, he said. There were worries about deficit monsoon after its late arrival in the state, followed by a month-long dry patch. Indian Meteorological Department at Goa has said the monsoon is "slowly reviving in the state."

"The monsoon has revived but it is slow. It is raining right now. It is expected to continue raining. The rains would be moderate up to July 6-7. Only after that it will pick up," IMD Goa Director K V Singh said. As per the statistics, Panaji recorded 13.9 mm rainfall during last 24 hours, taking the seasonal rainfall to 474.7 mm. Government figures reveal that the state has approximately 50,000 hectares area under paddy cultivation, of which kharif (rainy season) is around 35,000 hectares and rabi is 12,000 hectares of land.

PTI