Panaji (PTI): As Goa witnesses above normal rain spell in July, the agriculture department has pulled up its sleeves to en-cash on this climate best suited for farming.

With the onset of monsoons and the climate best suited for farming operations, the state government through Directorate of Agriculture has geared up its machinery to encourage farming community and boost agricultural production during the current khariff season in the state, an agriculture department official told PTI.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed that the current rain spell is above normal. The state till yesterday had recorded 1,433.5 mm rains, which is much above than the average 1110.6 mm.

The monsoons were active only in July. In the month of June the rainfall was evasive. It was recorded just 743.3 mm as compared to 782.6 mm last year, IMDs Goa Director K V Singh said.

He claimed that monsoons passed through weak phase in June and bounced to above normal position only in July.

Reaping the benefits of good rains, the state agriculture department has started distributing different varieties of paddy seeds such as KRH2, Karjat3, MO 17, MO 9, Boghavati and regular Jaya and Jyoti seeds and other agricultural kits to the farmers.

So far, 14,805 kgs of stributed to the farmers in the state, an agriculture officer said.