Paddy production in the State is on the decline and this is happening under the BJP’s watch. In the year 2013-14 about 1.9 lakh tonnes of paddy was produced, but this
dropped to 1.73 lakh tonnes in 2015-16. The total area under cultivation has also decreased over the years despite a promise in the budget to hike support price to Rs 20 per kilo. Clearly, the many schemes and plans launched and sustained by the government through the agriculture department are not working. Also, the rice intensification programme to produce a higher yield is not moving at the desired pace. This year a mechanized planter was used on trial basis. Paddy cultivation is a back-breaking occupation and only the sturdy, extremely
committed or desperate choose to enter it. The department has
formed farmer clubs which received seeds, fertilizers and use
of farm machinery at a subsidized rate. But despite this, the
yield seems to be dropping. The State economy is gradually
becoming more modern and the contribution of the primary
sector to the GSDP is dwindling. This shift was expected, but
only a white paper on paddy cultivation will give a clear picture
on the factors impacting the decline in yield.
