Rice Crisis

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic Geography

Context: While overall crop coverage has risen since last year that of rice is down

Concept:

Rice Cultivation:

It is India’s largest agricultural crop (accounting for over 40% of the total food grain output)

India is the world’s biggest exporter of rice
Rice is both a kharif (monsoon) and rabi (winter-spring) season crop
India is the 2nd largest rice producer
Rice crop requires hot and humid climatic conditions for its cultivation
It is suited for the regions where abundant water supply, high humid and prolonged sunshine is available
The ideal temperature required throughout the life period of the crop ranges from 20 degree to 40 degree Celsius
West Bengal is the largest rice producer followed by Uttar Pradesh and Punjab

Puddled transplantation method

In the traditional method, young paddy plants are raised by farmers in nurseries first and then these plants are uprooted and transplanted in a puddled field.
In the traditional puddled transplantation method, fields are flooded at the time of transplantation and for 30-35 days after that, and the stagnant water prevents the growth of weeds to a large extent

‘Sanda’ double-transplanting method

In eastern UP, farmers with access to basic irrigation under conditions of delayed rainfall practice this method of cultivation
In this ,the seedlings are uprooted after 25 days in the nursery and replanted in a puddled field that is only about twice the former’s area
The plants after establishment begin tillering and are, thus, rejuvenated for the next 10-15 days. When the rains come, they are again uprooted and replanted in the main field 10 times the size of the original nursery
Paddy yields under this method is better than regular one-step transplanting
The reason for it is that the Sanda plants have already tillered and their establishment in the main field would be near 100% with little mortality.
Yields are 15-20% more, but that is offset by higher costs because of transplanting labour having to be paid twice