SARIAAN PADDY TO BE SCARCE FOR NUANKHAI THIS YEAR
This year Nuankhai or Nabarnna, which is a festival
to celebrate consumption of newly-harvested paddy after due offering to the
local deity by the people of western Odisha, could go scarce for Sariaan paddy
which is yet be to ready due to late arrival of monsoon rainfall and subsequent
late agricultural operation. Notably, the festival this year falls on August
30.
The Sariaan paddy is a local variety
which grows in upland and takes 60-65 duration for its harvest. In normal
monsoon rainfall in June and July, farmer sow Sariaan paddy in upland and
harvest it by end of August. However, this year due to delayed rains by over a
month and subsequent continuous rains hit the agricultural operations. As such,
production is going to be delayed.
The crop has not reached its fruit
stage and hence, the Sariaan paddy would be scarce, apprehended an individual.
Sources said the paddy variety is
used massively during the festivities because of its early harvest. But during
erratic monsoon, it creates a veritable problem for the people to get the
paddy. While rural people can arrange it anyhow, the urban people would get it
at exorbitant prices this time, said sources.
According to agriculture office
sources, Sariaan paddy cultivation has been taken up in 1,600 hectares of land
in the district. Besides this, the general paddy cultivation in other land in
the district has been affected due to shortage of urea fertiliser. Against a
requirement of 22,000 metric tonnes, Balangir district has received 7,550 MT.
Urea fertiliser is required for top dressing agriculture operations.
Meanwhile, considering the high
demand of the Sariaan paddy and its religious and cultural importance, a bundle
of it costs Rs 2,000 these days. The price may go up further, said sources.
Only a single paddy plant costs Rs 5.
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