DUE to deficient rain paddy yield in about 3,000 hectares in upper land areas, accounting for 10 per cent of the total cultivated land in the state, could be adversely affected. However, the agricultural department expressed optimism that the shortfall in upper lands could be made up with higher yield in lower lands. The agriculture department has been trying to raise the area under system of rice intensification (SRI) in the uplands, but deficient rainfall could mar the efforts this year. The agriculture department offers 50 per cent subsidy on cost of high yielding seeds, assistance for fencing, and system of rice intensification.
Mechanisation of farming activities coupled with use of modern farming methods, like SRI, would go a long way in increasing paddy production. It has been authentically established that while the conventional farming method yields about four tonnes per hectare, the yield using SRI technique is 1.5 times more than that the conventional method.