Though the Cyclone Hudhud battered some districts recently, the State still expects to get an all-time high rice production of 97 million tonnes during the current fiscal.
According the Agriculture Director R Santhagopalan, rice production is expected to touch 97 MT mark as the State has received good rainfall this year.
The State had produced mere 79 MT rice last year as the Cyclone Phailin had damaged paddy crops in a major part of costal districts. In the preceding year, 86 MT of rice was produced. According to the Director, crop damage due to the Cyclone Hudhud in the State is negligible. The State received nine percent more rainfall than normal during the June-September monsoon season. It received 1,248 mm of rainfall against a normal of 1,150 mm during the period.