Jharkhand might face a 40% shortfall of rice yield this year due to delayed monsoon, an agriculture scientist said in Jharkhand on Saturday. "Transplantation of paddy picked up only in the last fortnight in Jharkhand following good rains. The delay in monsoon by 20 to 25 days had caused harm to paddy yield in the state," Mukund Varar, principal scientist of the Central Rainfed Upland Rice Research Institute of the ICAR, told PTI.

He said rice production would not cross two million tonne in Jharkhand this year.

"Even this month, rainfall was not proportionate across the state because of being plateau region," he said, adding deficient rains in June and July prevented farmers to grow nurseries, leaving transplantation in only about 40% to 50% of the total rice-cultivated land.

He, however, said many farmers had used short duration seeds like 'Sahbhagi Dhan' which would not only help reduce the impact of poor monsoon, but also help them in raising a second crop in the Rabi season following residual moisture.

He advised farmers to cultivate pulses and oilseeds early in the Rabi season and grow vegetables and wheat with supplemental irrigation, depending upon the water availability.

Varar also asked the state government to make all arrangements for farmers to make up their paddy loss.