PANAJI
Goa's average paddy yield kharif season has dropped by nearly one tonne per hectare and agriculture officials are blaming it on the monsoon deluge which led to flooding of low-lying khazan fields across Goa in July-August last year (2024-25).
Overall, the gross paddy output volumes in the Kharif season last year dropped by around 15,000 tonnes, official data reveals.
Directorate of Agriculture officials said that the excessive rainfall in July and August when the standing crops in most low-lying fields went under water, caused the damage.
In the 2023-24 Kharif season, paddy was cultivated on around 23,000-odd hectares which marginally increased by nearly 423 hectares. However, the gross output declined by nearly 15,000 tonnes and the per hectare productivity which was 4,335 kgs in 2023-24 dropped to 3,257 kgs, nearly 1,078 kgs lower.
According to the agriculture department's records, the standing paddy crop in around 459 hectares were damaged due to the flooding of fields following the July-August rains.
Bardez taluka was the hardest hit with nearly 161 hectares affected. Farmers here were paid the most compensation as against any other taluka.
Bardez was followed by Salcete where 66 hectares were damaged and then Ponda where crops on 49 hectares faced damage.
In Bicholim, 49 hectares were damaged while in Canacona, where fields are usually not low-lying, only 6 hectares were affected.
