With Odisha recording 46% deficit rainfall since April, drastic fall in crop coverage area has been observed in the State.
As of now, 1.69 lakh hectares of land is covered by different crops including paddy in the State as compared to nearly 3 lakh hectare, covered during the corresponding period last year.
According to Crop Weather Watch Group Committee meeting held on Monday, the cumulative actual rainfall in the State from April 1 to June 20, 2022 was 46% less than normal.
The Southwest monsoon has set in over the State from June 18 and rainfall activity is expected to intensify. The State Agriculture department hoped that the crop coverage area would increase at a faster rate and compensate the deficit.
Ironically, though the present crop coverage area is assessed to be much lesser than that of last year, farmers have availed higher crop loans. More than Rs. 2,500 crore of crop loan has been disbursed by the Cooperative banks compared to around Rs. 1650 crore of crop loan disbursed by the Cooperative banks last year.
According to Agriculture department, there has been a remarkable increase in the disbursement of crop loans in the case of public and private sector banks this year.
