Panaji: With Goa recording its driest monsoon in five decades and rainfall falling nearly a third below normal, the agriculture department is preparing to advise farmers in water-stressed areas to reconsider paddy cultivation during the upcoming Rabi season and opt for short-duration vegetables and pulses instead.Director of agriculture Chandrahas Desai said the department would issue an advisory guiding farmers to choose crops according to the availability of water, warning that a further lack of rainfall could lead to a shortage of irrigation water.“Wherever there is a shortage of water, farmers can go for pulses and vegetables, which have a short growth duration of around 60 days. Wherever sufficient water is available, they can go for paddy,” Desai told TOI.The proposed advisory comes at a critical juncture with the state having received substantially less rainfall than normal during this monsoon season.“Rainfall is deficient by around 35%. If we do not receive sufficient post-monsoon rainfall, there could be a scarcity of irrigation water,” he said.TOI had earlier reported that Goa received approximately 2,055.4 mm of rainfall from June to Sept, against the seasonal normal of 3,007.8 mm, translating into a deficit of nearly 32%, according to India Meteorological Department data. The shortfall has been described as the highest in the state’s rainfall records dating back to 1980.The consequences have already been felt in paddy fields, particularly in upland areas where farmers depend heavily on rainfall. The agriculture department’s preliminary assessment has so far indicated crop damage across around 25 hectares of land.The department’s proposed advisory is intended to prevent farmers in water-deficient areas from investing in crops that may not receive adequate irrigation.“We will promote short-duration paddy varieties for the Rabi crop, where conditions permit cultivation. The selection of varieties and crops would depend on the water available in individual farming areas,” Desai said.The advisory, however, is not a blanket recommendation to abandon paddy cultivation across Goa. “Farmers with adequate irrigation facilities and assured water supplies can continue with rice cultivation, while those in water-stressed locations are being encouraged to consider alternatives,” he said.The rainfall shortfall has also prompted state govt to constitute a 10-member task force headed by chief minister Pramod Sawant to monitor water availability, rising temperatures and climate-related concerns. The panel is expected to meet monthly to assess the evolving situation and coordinate responses across departments.
