Phuntshothang Gewog in Samdrup Jongkhar is known for a rice variety called Khamtey. Apart from making them self-sufficient in rice, it is also a source of supplementary income for the villagers. However, this year, rice production will decrease in Phuntshothang chiwog due to paddy lodging caused by wind. Paddy lodging occurs when the plant stems weaken to the point where they can no longer support the weight of the grain causing it to fall over which results in significant yield loss.
It is time for rice growers in Phuntshothang chiwog to reap the outcome of their yearlong hard work. But a heavy wind last month dashed all their excitement. The wind lodged the rice plants just as they ripened for harvest. The farmers say some grains have fallen on the ground before maturing and they are not able to harvest all the produce.
As they have not reported the matter to agriculture officials and the gewog administration, the overall extent of damage could not be ascertained. However, when BBS visited the gewog, paddy plants on about 10 acres have fallen to the ground in Phuntshothang chiwog.
One of the paddy fields damaged by the wind belongs to Karma Dorji.
Karma says his paddy plants on two acres of the field have fallen to the ground leaving him not much to harvest.
“Paddy plants have fallen down and as a result, paddy grains also fall and we do not have much to harvest. You can see here, plants do not have many grains on them.”
“It hampers production. Production will be good if paddy plants do not fall. When it falls, grains also fall on the ground. Wind damages the fields just when paddy plants are maturing,” said Tendi Wangmo, a farmer from Phuntshothang Gewog.
“The plants fell when they were maturing. So, the yield will be less. Last year, I produced over 2500 kilograms of rice grain. This year, it will be very less,” said Pangla, another farmer.
According to agriculture officials, production will be reduced by about 5 to 10 per cent. The officials said Khamtey rice is known to grow tall with a thin stem making it prone to lodging and there is no solution to prevent it from falling.
Officials added that they have supplied different varieties of paddy seed which can yield higher production and which are not prone to lodging. However, some villagers still cultivate Khamtey rice because of the taste and demand in the market.
In Samdrup Jongkhar, farmers of Phuntshothang, Pemathang, Samrang, and Langchenphu Gewogs cultivate paddy on wetland. They produced more than 130 truckloads of rice last year.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Phub Gyem
