Indian Farmers Expect Bumper Rice Crop

CHEN: And in Indian Kashmir farmers are in good spirits. They are expecting a bumper harvest from this year's rice paddy crop. A bumper harvest means they will have a successful growing season. Here's more. STORY: With the onset of summer in the Kashmir valley the sowing of paddy has started. The planting must finish by the summer solstice on June the 21st. Many of the traditional crops are photo-sensitive so the sowing time is the most important part in getting maximum yield. And to get the planting finished in time everyone is helping. The workers sing folk songs to make their ancestors happy and bless them for a good crop. [Dilaver Khan, Farmer]: "This is a very happy season for us. It is equivalent to the holy festival of Eid for us. We are very happy, we dance and sing to celebrate." The state government has distributed high-yielding seeds and given out subsidies to buy fertilizers. They are hoping to get more rice than last year. [V. Mooza, Kashmir Agriculture Director]: "Last year, on a land of around 160, 000 hectares, we got a yield of 495, 000 metric tonnes of rice, this year we expect a better crop. This year the rains have been good. We expect a yield of around 500, 000 metric tones. " Paddy is the main crop in this valley. Farming and related activities provide a living to more than two-thirds of India's 1.1 billion people. 到本页顶部