Patna, Sept. 9: Figures can be deceptive and Bihar farmers are learning it the hard way.

Despite a “normal” rainfall this year, the farmers of Bihar are not certain about a good harvest.

Against the normal rainfall of 853.7mm between June 1 and September 8, the state received 799.5mm, which is 6 per cent less than normal. An area is considered to be rain-deficient only if the deviation is more than 19 per cent from the normal.

If seen from this angle, the condition would appear normal in Bihar.

However for those, whose labour and money have gone into nurturing the standing crop, these figures and norms appear to be meaningless.

Thanks to the lull in monsoon in September, the farmers in Bihar are keeping their fingers crossed as a moisture stress at this juncture — when the standing crop that is either in the booting or panicle stage — can wreck havoc for them.

A plant is said to be in booting stage when the panicle remains inside the stem of the plant, whereas in the panicle stage the grains become visible in the panicle of the plant.

Against the normal of 53.7mm of rainfall in the first eight days of September, when the standing crop reaches the booting and panicle stage, the state has received just 9.3mm of rain. “A moisture stress at this stage would adversely hit the productivity of standing crop,” agriculture department expert Anil Kumar Jha said, adding that if the present lull continued for more than a week things would become worrisome for the farming community.

The magnitude of concern of the farming community is much larger this year, as emboldened by almost normal rainfall in the first three months of the rainy season, they went on to sow crops in maximum possible area.

They had not been able to do so for the past two years because of severe drought in the state.

Against the target of 35.50 lakh hectares, paddy, which is the main crop of the kharif season, was planted in 33.79 lakh hectare this year.

Good rainfall ensured good growth of plants.

However, when it came to the crunch time, the rain God appears to have started playing games with the farmers once again.

“The lull is getting over our nerves as we have high hopes of a good harvest after a gap of two years,” said Kanhaiya Prasad, a farmer from Harkaina village in East Champaran district.

Attributing the lull in monsoon to the southward shift of monsoon trough line from its normal position, meteorology director Animesh Chanda said: “The trough line is likely to shift northward in the next three-four days after which the state should receive good rainfall.”

Rajendra Agriculture University assistant professor of meteorology Abdul Sattar, however, said the lull was likely to last for at least five days. “But for localised rainfall at a few places, there would be no major respite from the present dry spell,” he said, adding that things, however, are likely to improve after five days as monsoon has once again become active in north India and its impact should be visible even in Bihar within a week.