Berhampur: At a time when the farmers in northern districts are grappling with the crop loss due to the floods multiple times owing to excess rainfall, farmers in Ganjam, a southern district, are worried over the deficit rainfall. Kharif operation in several blocks is reportedly hit in the district by deficit monsoon rain.The acreage of paddy crops, including broadcasting and transplantation, was completed in 1.61 lakh hectares out of the total target of 2.16 lakh hectares (around 74%) during this kharif till last Saturday. The transplantation coverage last year during the same period was 90.18% due to good rain, sources said.Ganjam recorded excess rainfall of 38% and 55% in April and May, respectively, while deficit rain was recorded in June (43%), July (5%) and till Aug 20 (3%) — the crucial months for kharif operation. The worst-affected blocks in the district that recorded deficit rainfall in Aug included Purushottampur (91%), Jagannath Prasad (57%), Digapahandi (52%), Khallikote (35%), Rangeilunda (45%) and Bhanjanagar (14%). Chikiti, Aska, Patrapur, Dharakote, Kabisurya Nagar and Sheragada blocks, however, recorded excess rain in Aug.“As against the normal rainfall of 168.06 mm in Aug, it recorded an average rainfall of 162.84 mm till Aug 20, recording a deficit of 3%. The transplantation of paddy could not take place in several hectares due to deficit rainfall this year,” said Niranjan Mohanty, a farmer in Balipada in Kukudakhandi block. During this period last year, he had completed the transplantation.Sujit Kumar Nath, senior scientist in Krushi Vigyan Kendra of Ganjam, said transplantation in the district will continue till third week of Sept. The district is expected to get more rain, which will fill up the deficit and help the farmers complete transplantation. In many areas, the transplantation was going on in full swing due to the release of water from reservoirs, he added.