Late rain doesn’t cheer farmers much

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 12

While farmers have heaved a sigh of relief as the recent rain ended a long dry spell, they are sceptical of reaping a good harvest, claiming the delayed rain has already taken its toll.

In the Jammu region, immediately after the harvesting of rice in November, farmers till their lands and sow wheat. The exercise is done before the winter rain that is generally expected in middle of November.

“We sowed the seeds on time, but the delay in rain has already affected the crop. We are not expecting a good yield this time,” said Bhoori Ram, a land owner at Sum, Phallain Mandal.

Though the Agriculture Department had released an advisory for farmers, telling them to take certain steps, local farmers termed it an eyewash. “Such advisories are limited to departmental activities only and do not serve purpose on the ground. Farmers are more intelligent and adopt their own strategies in even adverse weather conditions to get a good yield,” said a source in the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu (SKUAST-J).

The Agromet advisory bulletin for sub-tropical conditions of the Jammu region is issued jointly by SKUAST-J and the India Meteorological Department, Agromet Research Centre, Jammu.

“We have made an inventory of nearly 600 farmers and their mobile numbers are registered with us. From time to time, we keep on sending text messages regarding weather forecast to help farmers benefit from it,” said JP Sharma, Director, Agriculture Department, SKUAST-J.

According to the weather advisory from December 13-17 for the wheat crop normally sown and having reached the crown root initiation stage, farmers were advised to apply second dose of fertiliser after rain.

For the late sown (irrigated) crop and at germination stage, due to chances of rainfall, farmers have been advised to postpone the sowing of varieties: WH-1021, PBW-590, PBW-373, Raj-3077, Raj-3765 and DBW-16 till weather clears and soil reaches vattar (moist) condition.