Rice Fallow in North East India: Challenges, Opportunities and Policy Intervention

This study investigates rice fallow management in North East India, focusing on challenges, opportunities, and policy implications. Rice-based cropping System is found in all North Eastern States except Sikkim. But in almost all the states the land has been kept fallow after harvesting of kharif rice. This may be attributed to factors like planting of long-duration rice varieties during the kharif season, lack of irrigation water, moisture stress at the time of sowing of rabi crops, stray cattle etc. Despite many challenges of rice fallow, it can be well utilized for the cultivation of short-duration pulses and oilseed. Different interventions like resource conservation technologies could be effective in addressing the challenges in rice fallow. Retaining mulch on the soil surface, and making of farm pond, along with suitable establishment techniques, may mitigate severe stress bypreserving soil moisture. Practising zero tillage with minimal soil disturbance and maintaining crop residues can positively influence soil properties, thereby enhancing overall productivity in rice-fallow systems. Besides technological interventions, subsidies on farm input, credit and crop insurance schemes should be taken into consideration for the poor risk-prone farmers of the northeast region for better utilization of rice fallow.