Al Ngullie
Dimapur | August 30
Nagaland state has incurred approximately Rs. 109 Crore from loss of agricultural production from the short monsoon and ‘drought-like situation’ across the country. The state government said Sunday that the estimated loss is till the current month of August.
The Centre is also said to have issued a number of guidelines to all the state Agriculture ministers during the central meeting with the states two weeks ago. The guidelines could not be obtained or specified but they are understood to be alternatives and means to optimizing whatever means of sustenance are available.
Nagaland Minister for Agriculture Dr. Chumben Murry said the loss of agriculture production in the state is to the range of an estimated Rs. 109 Crore. This is till the month of August, the minister said when contacted Sunday.
On August 21, Agriculture ministers from all the states met with the prime minister in Delhi. All the state agriculture ministries including Nagaland submitted appraisals and reports to the Centre. Dr. Murry informed that the meeting explored means to counter the monsoon situation that has seen agriculture production plummeting.
Highly-placed sources had also informed last week that the Nagaland government submitted a preliminary “proposal” to the Government of India when Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Cabinet were in Delhi the past two weeks. When contacted Friday, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Khekiho Zhimomi expressed cognizance that the state government has also submitted its report and is expecting a response sooner.
Also, government sources said the prime minister issued guidelines to be followed by the state agriculture departments to counter the onslaught of short rain. Nagaland state has received till August, 37%.1 percent less rainfall.
When queried on the matter, Minister Dr. Murry said that a meeting of all agriculture officials and the department is expected by either Monday or the day after. A contingency plan has been devised by the state’s Agriculture department and a course of action on it would be decided, Dr. Murry said. Matter about how best to implement the PM’s guidelines would also be discussed, he said. It was also informed that 41% of terrace cultivation and 17 % of “jhum” cultivation have been affected by the shortfall in the rain and delayed Monsoon.
The short monsoon this year is exacting toll on the agricultural sector in the low-lying areas of Nagaland, especially in rice output, from hitherto high-production areas such as Dimapur and Peren district.
Agriculture officials in Dimapur had earlier predicted that food production will not reach even 5% percent of the annual food production in the district.
Earlier, an official of the Soil & Water department has said that the state has received only 150-180 cm (1500-1800 mm) of rainfall till August, this year. In normal years, the minimum expected rainfall in Nagaland is 200 cm while the maximum expected rainfall is 250 cm. But this year the rains have left Nagaland with a substantial 37.1 percent shortage.
Fingers are crossed for now, with the only hope offered by ‘late karif’ crops and in the expectation that the current monsoon would go on till September to October. The coming months will determine the annual rainfall received, an official said earlier.
