Wheat farmers stare at another dry week

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 19

Anxiety is writ large on the faces of small and marginal farmers, especially in rain-fed areas, with the Meteorological Department predicting dry weather in the state for the next one week.

The region has received a rainfall of 5.3 mm from October 1 to December 19 against the normal rainfall of 76 mm, a deficit of 93 per cent.

While farmers are already spending sleepless nights due the damage caused by wild animals like boar, stray cattle and monkeys, the dry spell has severely hit rabi sowing in the rain-fed areas without any irrigation facility.

“It hasn’t rained in three months. We need it to sow wheat, but if the dry weather continues, we will have difficulty making ends meet,” said Parikshit, a farmer from Hamirpur.

“We have small land holdings and wheat is the major rabi crop. In case the rains are delayed further, wheat production would be hit,” said Kishori Lal, a farmer from Lehri village in Ghumarwin in Bilaspur.

“Wheat, potato and maize are grown in this area, but in the absence of irrigation facilities and acute shortage of drinking water, cultivation becomes difficult,” says Mahek Singh of Nauni village in Bilaspur.

As most parts of Himachal are rainfed, farmers normally sow rabi crops in November. This year, however, crop has not been sown in several areas due to delayed rains.

“If there’s no rain anytime soon, it will affect the rabi crop,” said Ramesh Chand, Director (Agriculture).

The deficit is 99 per cent in Lahaul and Spiti and Hamirpur districts, 97 per cent in Kinnaur, 95 per cent in Kangra district, 93 per cent in Kullu and 91 per cent in Chamba.

The total area under cultivation has increased from 7.72 lakh hectares to 7.95 lakh hectares this year and the area under rabi crops was marginally higher at 77 lakh hectares, which included 3.57 lakh hectares under wheat, 23,000 hectare under barley and 8,000 hectare under pulses.

The production of wheat, the main rabi crop, was 4.94 lakh MT last year. The target has been enhanced to 6.5 lakh MT for 2016-17. Similarly, the target for barley has been increased from 26,000 to 38,000 MT.