Delayed rains: Sariaan paddy to go scarce on Nuankhai

The Pioneer, 10th August, 2009

Sudhir Mishra Balangir

Ask anybody from western Orissa about his major festival, the invariable answer will be Nuankhai. The title Nuankhai means eating of the newly sprouted rice which is first offered to the local deity as a mark of gratitude and then consumed by the people with religious fervour and gaiety. However, Sariaan paddy, an indigenous variety, used in the festival and grown mostly in Bongomunda, Tureilkela, Patangarh in Balangir, Padmapur in Baragarh , Khariar in Nuapada and some parts in Kalahandi will go scarce this time thanks to the ongoing draught here. The Sariaan paddy is drought-resistant and responds less to chemical fertilisers. Its production per acre is 3 to 4 quintals. Provided compost and organic manure is applied, the production goes up to 5 to 6 quintals per acre. The paddy is a 75-day duration crop and farmers of this region usually sow this paddy by second of week June. The crop attains maximum tillage stage at 35 days and reproductive stage starts from there. From pinnacle initiation to flowering stage, it takes 20 days and from flowering to maturity, it takes another 20 days, explains an agriculture official. The delayed monsoon and unusual deviation in rainfall this year has affected the kharif paddy production, but the worst hit is going to be the Sariaan paddy. In June, Balangir district received 63 per cent less rainfall and in July, it received 135 per cent excess rainfall taking its toll on the kharif crop. Moreover, the area under Att land is also decreasing as the Att land is increasingly converted into bonded land over the years. Areas for high intensive crops like groundnut, cotton, maize and pulses also declined, besides that of paddy. Nevertheless, the farmers, who have availed the localized shower and shown this paddy by June 15, can harvest this paddy on the eve of Nuankhai."The non-ripening of Sariann paddy this year by the time of Nuankhai and the unusual monsoon rainfall are an indication of severe ecological imbalance. Due to the climatic variation we are practically experiencing two seasons, winter and summer, rather than three seasons, winter, summer and rainy," said Sanjaya Mishra of Centre for Social Research and Action here.