Farmers dump govt advisories, choose to grow paddy this year

Srinagar, Apr 17: Despite advisory by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC), the farmers across the valley have decided to grow paddy crop for the year and have already began the process of cultivation.

I&FC Department recently issued an advisory for the majority of the districts including Srinagar, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Pulwama to avoid growing paddy crop considering less precipitation during the winter season in the region.

The department in its circular asked the farmers to replace paddy with other crops that require less water.

While the advisory initially created panic among growers, majority of them have now started preparing their land for this crop due to the rainfall since last few weeks.

Framers in Baramulla have started soaking their seeds, which they said will be sown during first week of May.

“We have witnessed less snowfall even in 2015, but it didn’t affect our crop then,”  Ghulam Qadir a farmer from Pattan village in Baramulla district said.

As per Qadir, majority of the farmers have started preparations for growing paddy in their fields.

“We have villages here like Hanjiwera, Buran, Trokolbal, Khor where the farmers are currently ploughing their land for paddy nurseries. We hope that we will receive regular rainfall during the summer season as was seen during 2015,” he said.

The farmers of Kupwara also have decided to ignore the government advisories, who said that they have abundant water resources in their respective areas.

They said the advisories have come for the first time from the government, though such conditions have been witnessed earlier as well.

“Paddy requires regular water supply but such condition were earlier seen as well. Currently, we are receiving rainfall and just few months are left for transplatin this crop. We hope that the conditions are going to be favoubale for the farmers,” Ghulam Hassan a farmer from Kupwara’s Drugmulla area said.

Framers from Ganderbal and Budgam too have decided not to abide by the I&FC guidelines, saying the department had not enough role in providing water supplies for their fields.

“We have to arrange everything of our own during the cultivation season. Even if we sow seeds in a nursery it won’t go waste. Our locality variety of rice is our identity and it can withstand some minor climate problems,” said Naseer Ahmad, a farmer.

Department Agriculture Department has also supported the farmers for experimenting the paddy crop in Kashmir.

Director of the department, Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi said that the affected area can be only 50000 hectares out of 1,40,000 hectares in case harsh climatic condition approach.

“The nursery for paddy crop utilises a small portion which is 1/12th of the agriculture land.So even if the paddy seeds are sown there the rest of the land will be free. It will be no harm to the farmers,” he said.