Pre-harvest Rain could jeopardize the hope of farmers.

    On 21^st October, 2011, during evening time there was sudden downpour which however lasted for roughly few minutes.

    Rain at this time, which is pre-harvest rain, could damage the standing crop in the state. Harvest of rice crop in Tripura is expected from the month of October and it may extend up to December based on the sowing or planting time of rice by the farmers.

    On 22^nd October, 2011, again there was rain coupled with cloudy weather from afternoon on wards. Pre-harvest rain and cloudy weather at this stage of rice crop could jeopardize the hopes of the farmers.

    Due to this pre-harvest rain, rice crop which is in harvesting stage would be greatly affected and standing crops which are in dough stage could also invite different problems of disease causing pathogen and insect pests.
  This pre-harvest rain may also affect standing rice crop by lodging especially tall rice varieties. In case lodging takes place, there will be a huge loss to the farmers.

   This pre-harvest rain was predicted few days ago by the concerned agency after installation of weather forecasting instrument Doppler at Agartala Airport. It was predicted that this pre-harvest rain in the north east along with neighboring Bangladesh could happen as there was sudden depression in Bay of Bengal.

   What ever, may the case, if this pre-harvest rain extends few more days, it could result in loss of total food grain production of the state as well as country.

   As a counter measure for any eventualities, farmers have to keep constant watch on their rice field and prevent any infection and spread of Bacterial disease and also pest attack which at this congenial weather may take upper hand, if not monitored properly.