IMPHAL, July 2: The Director of Agriculture L Palendro has ruled out drought in the state even though the Agriculture minister yesterday assured farmers that the state was fully prepared to face any drought situation.
A team of officials from the state Agriculture Department today inspected vast areas of paddy fields with standing crops in Imphal East I and Imphal West I and ruled out any possible drought in the near future in the state.
The inspected areas include the constituencies of Lamlai, Khurai and Khundrakpam in respect of Imphal East I while for Imphal West I, it included Sekmai and Lamshang constituency.
The inspection team was led by L Palendro, Director, Agriculture Department and its Joint Director, G Samu Kabui.
The current temperature of the state is high as compared to the condition that we had in the last one to two decades and that such temperature is quite suitable for better production of paddy, Palendro maintained.
He also informed that the state is now having a positive weather condition and that there is no sign of possible drought as of now while adding that the normal rainfall in the state is 739.5 mm which is 75 per cent and the current rainfall is recorded at 554.63 mm that is 69 per cent.
For a more satisfactory rainfall in the state, we have to wait till the month of July when it the highest rainfall is received, Palendro maintained.
The director also made an appeal to all the farmers to wait till mid July for sufficient rainfall.
He also assured that the Agriculture Department will render support and help to provide better irrigation facilities for the standing crops while suggesting that in the event of any drought condition in the state, farmers should cultivate Chennai 109, 103, IR-64 and RCM-10 which do not take much time to reap.