145;Don146;t worry, we are prepared146;

With the monsoon already on, the farmers in Assam are once again worried. What happens if the floods are as devastating as they were last ye...

With the monsoon already on, the farmers in Assam are once again worried. What happens if the floods are as devastating as they were last year? Ask the state agriculture department, and it says: Don8217;t worry, we are fully prepared.

While Assam has borne the brunt of the floods almost every year, last year8217;s was one of the most devastating, with the waters affecting a total crop area of 9,97,262 hectares and more than 14 lakh farm families. According to official statistics, the state8217;s total chronically flood-prone area is over 4.75 lakh hectares, or nearly 20 per cent of the net cropped area.

8216;8216;The first wave of floods normally comes around the middle or later part of June. This year, however, it is expected slightly later,8217;8217; says R K Das, secretary, agriculture, government of Assam.

8216;8216;But whether it is an early flood or a late flood, we are always ready with our contingency plan, which varies from district to district keeping the intensity of damage and other local conditions in mind,8217;8217; he added.

As for the state agriculture department, stocks of seeds required to be distributed to the farmers after the floods begin to recede are already in place.

8216;8216;We normally have a good stock of sali paddy seeds ready at hand for tackling the situation if the floods begin in June-July and recede in a month. But if the floods come late, then there is no point pursuing sali paddy cultivation, because the farmers will then miss the natural flowering season,8217;8217; Das points out.

In such a situation, the focus shifts to various rabi crops, chiefly potatoes, peas, mustard seeds and seasonal vegetables. Last year, for instance, large tracts of paddy planted after two waves of floods were once again swept away by a third and fourth wave.

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8216;8216;We experimented with pulses like moong and black grams in addition to mustard, and the farmers finally reaped a good harvest,8217;8217; the agriculture secretary said. With a fifth wave of floods affecting cultivation in some districts towards September and October last year, the farmers were also encouraged to go for wheat and maize, he added.

On the technical front, the authorities also rope in the Assam Agricultural University and the Regional Agriculture Research Station for extra support, while the National Seeds Corporation and Assam Seed Corporation also come up with various short-term varieties of seeds.

Meanwhile, a website recently launched by the Assam Agro-Business Consortium AABC has come up with week-by-week weather and flood forecasting facilities, which will be an additional advantage for both farmers and the government this year.

8216;8216;But what is most important is the traditional knowledge the individual farmers possess,8217;8217; points out Rabi Kota, who heads the World Bank supported Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project. 8216;8216;They also experiment with experience which produces interesting alternative practices in different districts.8217;8217;