Alibag got more rain than usual, but rice output may fall 30-40%

Alibag: Alibag taluka has received 2,361.9 mm of rain so far this year, more than its long-term average of 2,213 mm. But the rain has been uneven and irregular, leaving kharif crops short of water. With weather shifts linked to El Niño and an 18-19 day break in the rains, the agriculture department's preliminary estimate is that rice production could fall by 30 to 40 per cent.

Kharif crops were sown on 9,020.40 hectares in the taluka this year: 8,906.11 hectares of rice, 25.50 hectares of nachni (finger millet) and 88.10 hectares of tur grown on field bunds.

Sowing went on until the end of June. Heavy rain in July damaged nurseries in many places, and now the harsh sun and dry spell of September and October are drying out the soil fast. Many fields have cracked and crops are turning yellow.

Early-maturing paddy is at the grain-filling and flowering stage, medium varieties are at the booting stage and late varieties are still tillering. The lack of moisture is hurting grain filling and growth, and pests and diseases such as stem borer and leaf blight are spreading.

Source: Pudhari