Bihar hands out paddy seed to farmers who suffered losses in floods

Bihar has allocated direct seeded rice (DSR), a short duration variety, for farmers whose seedlings were damaged in recent flood in East and West Champaran districts

Bihar has allocated direct seeded rice (DSR), a short duration variety, for farmers whose seedlings were damaged in recent flood in East and West Champaran districts.

A village submerged in floods due to heavy rainfall at Shukul Pakar panchayat, in Bihar’s Champaran earlier this month. (File photo)

Officials said 4,400.725 quintal of OP variety and 287.82 quintal of hybrid variety in East Champaran, and 2,000 quintals of OP variety and 100 quintal of hybrid variety of paddy seed have been received in West Champaran. “Paddy seedlings were damaged in several blocks of district,” said Vijay Prakash, district agriculture officer (DAO), West Champaran.

As against an average rainfall of 49mm in May and 181.10mm in June, East Champaran witnessed a rainfall of 260.94mm and 422.20mm respectively, causing damage to area spread over 6,800 hectares in blocks such as Kesariya, Sangrampur, Banjariya, Safauli, Fenhara, Ramgarhwa, Raxaul, Adapur and Patahi, besides parts of Motihari, Ghodasahan and Pakaridayal.

“We have received online application from 55,454 farmers across the district and 8,833 of them have benefitted from the distribution,” said Chandradeo Prasad, district agriculture officer (DAO).

According to Adesh Titarmare, director, department of agriculture, Patna, the government has provided over 6,500 quintals paddy seeds for farmers in these two districts (East and West Champaran) as contingent crops.

*As a technology, direct seeded rice is being promoted in all districts. Due to recent floods and loss of seedlings, farmers are advised to adopt DSR in East and West Champaran,” he said.

Dr N K Singh, associate director research and chief scientist (rice), Pusa University, Samastipur, describes the short duration variety as cost effective. “Compared to old transplantation technique, the yield from DSR is almost equal. Paddy cultivation through DSR can help augment farmers; income,” he said.

However, not all farmers are in favour of DSR yet. “This variety of seed is still unknown in our village. Moreover, who would take risk with regard to their paddy?” said Updesh Sah, a Bherihari village-based farmer near Valkminagar in West Champaran.