86% of Jharkhand's paddy cultivation land unused due to scanty rainfall

Around 86 per cent of Jharkhand's arable land, meant for paddy sowing, is still lying fallow due to scanty rainfall, officials said.

Paddy sowing has not yet taken off in four out of 24 districts even though the peak period of sowing ends next week, according to agricultural experts.

Jharkhand has registered a 47 per rainfall deficit till July 26, officials said.

Farmers are worried over the condition and they speculate the state might face drought-like situations for the third consecutive term.

In 2023, 158 blocks in 17 districts were declared drought-hit by the state government, and in 2022, it was 226 blocks.

Paddy crop was sown in only 2.43 lakh hectares against the target of 18 lakh hectares till July 26 or only in 13.53 per cent of the arable land, according to the sowing report of state agriculture department.

Paddy sowing could not be started in Palamu, Latehar, Chatra and Deoghar districts.

The situation of overall kharif crops, which includes maize, pulses, oilseeds an