Gaya: With a drought-like situation emerging in the district and the rain deficit hovering around 50%, digital crop survey work began on Monday. Under the survey module, officials collect real-time crop data from farmers. The exercise is aimed at policymaking and course correction to minimise damage caused by natural factors.Confirming the start of the survey, district agriculture officer Sanjiv Kumar said the exercise has to be completed by Sept 30. Official statistics show the district has a gross cropped area of more than 2.28 lakh hectares, of which around 1.90 lakh hectares are under kharif crops.Paddy is the main kharif crop and the cultivation target for 2026 was fixed at 1.82 lakh hectares. Millets account for 2,500 hectares, while pulses and oilseeds account for 5,273 and 254 hectares, respectively. So far, only around 50% of the target has been achieved and the transplantation season is virtually over.Before the survey was rolled out, a training-cum-orientation programme was held at the Bazar Samiti complex. Block-level agriculture officers and field-level workers, along with computer operators, motivators, technical personnel and other stakeholders, attended the programme.According to sources, there are few takers for alternative crops such as maize and horse gram to offset losses caused by the rain deficit. Asked about alternative crop farming, Kumar said farmers were generally not very cooperative and interest in farming itself had declined. “Farmers generally prefer conventional farming,” the DAO said.Gaya falls in the rain-shadow zone because of geographical barriers to its south. The fringe of the Chotanagpur Plateau obstructs moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal.
