Kharif crop sowing continued this week with more area under rice being brought under cultivation, while sowing in other crops has almost come to an end.

An Agriculture Ministry press release said total area under various kharif crops had crossed 1,000 lakh hectares. During the same time last year, 939.61 lakh hectares had been covered.

Record plantings in soyabean have driven the area under oilseeds this year, while cotton coverage, after initial gains, has begun to slacken.

Area under oilseeds

The area under oilseeds is up at 188.16 lakh hectares (lh), up over 20 lh from last year. Soyabean coverage is seen at a record of over 121 lh.

'The advantage of a higher area may, however, have been lost by continuous rain in the growing areas ever since the monsoon broke out in June. Groundnut, sunflower and sesamum acreage has increased.

The area under cotton so far is 111.65 lh against 112.83 lh during the same period a year ago. The record coverage in cotton is 121 lh in 2011. Last year, the acreage dropped by 5 lh.

Though sowing in the natural fibre has slowed with just 30,000 hectares added last week, higher prices could still encourage farmers to go in for cotton in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Currently, the Shankar-6 variety, in demand for exports, is ruling at Rs 47,500 for a candy of 356 kg.

The area under rice is up by over 10 lh at 354.61 lh compared with last year. A higher minimum support price of Rs 1,310 a quintal and rising open market prices are encouraging farmers to go in for the cereal.

The area under pulses is also higher with conducive weather and higher support price aiding the coverage.

Currently, 101.81 lakh hectares have been brought under various pulses against 99.63 lh during the same period last year.

deficient rainfall

With rainfall being deficient over West Bengal and Assam this year, the area under jute and mesta has dropped. Moreover, the Centre’s decision to relax the mandatory jute packaging norms has acted as a dampener for growers.

With a prolonged dry period extending till June in States such as Maharashtra and Karnataka, the area under sugarcane is lower at 48.74 lh.

Though rainfall dropped 29 per cent last week, overall it is up 11 per cent this year from June till date.

While 41 per cent area of the country has received excess rainfall, another 86 per cent has received normal rainfall.

The North-East is the one region where rainfall has been 29 per cent deficient during the current monsoon.

According to the Central Water Commission, the water storage level in the 85 major reservoirs of the country is 81 per cent of the live capacity at the full reservoir level against 60 per cent during the same time last year.

The water level as on Thursday was 125.844 billion cubic metres (BCM) against the capacity of 154.877 BCM.

The storage level augurs well for the rabi crop, for which sowing will begin from next month-end.

> subramani.mancombu@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics