State minister for agriculture and cooperation, G Kaito Aye, Wednesday said Nagaland was facing a drought-like situation owning to the deficient and erratic rainfall.
Addressing media persons in the conference hall of Nagaland Civil Secretariat here on Wednesday, the minister attributed the situation to climate change and late monsoon and said delayed rainfall had led to crops drying up.
He said that the situation was aggravated by fall army worm (FAW) infestation, which devastated large swathe of maize crop measuring 3048.45 hectares in 334 villages. Besides seasonal crops, the minister said shortage of rainfall has also affected commercial crops like large cardamom, fruits, vegetables and livestock including fisheries and piggeries.
Despite the department’s initiatives, the minister said FAW infestation could not be completely neutralised. He, however, said that the responsible departments have taken up various issues with their respective departments at the Centre level. Aye said Centre should be made aware of the situation in order to make necessary arrangements as and when required.
HIGHLIGHTS
Climate change, late monsoon, delayed rainfall main factors for crops drying up
Situation aggravated by FAW infestation, where large swathe of maize crop measuring 3048.45 ha in 334 villages were damaged
Rainfall deficiency in some districts has reportedly gone up to 66 percent
Centre to be made aware of the situation for assistance
68,662 ha of jhum fields in 915 villages affected
Although the situation was a normal phenomenon, Yanthan said necessary measures like climate proofing, use of drought tolerant and climate resilient crops had to be practised in order to avoid large scale crop loss. He said that the department had also dovetailed additional measures such as soil and moisture conservation etc. which would help mitigate the problems. He assured that the responsible departments would take the discussion forward as much as possible.
State agriculture production commissioner (APC), Y Kikheto Sema, pointed out that from December 2020 till April 2021 there was no significant rainfall in the State, which had affected 68,662 hectares of jhum fields in 915 villages all over the State. Due to the delayed monsoon, APC said terraced rice cultivation and wet terraced rice cultivation has also been affected leading to delay in land preparedness and sowing.
If the current trend continued till July, he said farmers could fail to undertake cultivation activities.
Kikheto disclosed that rice production of the State for the year 2020-21 was at 5.51 lakh MT, which may fall to 1.66 lakh MT in the current year if the dry spell continued. Rainfall deficiency in some districts has reportedly gone up to 66 percent, Kikheto said.
Taking all these issues into account, Kikheto said agri & allied departments were planning to distribute rabbi seeds including potato, oil seeds and vegetables in September and October to compensate the farmers for the anticipated losses incurred. He further disclosed that the chief minister, during a recent meeting, had made known the seriousness of the government towards the issue.
A core committee headed by APC has reportedly been formed to monitor and review the ground situation in accordance with reports received from the fields. Further, APC also directed all officers of agri & allied departments to remain in their respective stations to closely monitor the ground situation.