Backed by good soil moisture and higher storage level in most of the reservoirs, planting of rabi crops has picked up at a hectic pace.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the area covered under rabi crops was 64.77 lakh hectares as on November 1, compared with 21.09 lh in the corresponding period a year ago.
Good soil moisture resulting from the extended South-West Monsoon and higher storage level in the reservoirs helped rabi planting take off at such a pace.
According to the Central Water Commission, the water level in the 85 major reservoirs in the country was higher than last year as well as the last 10 years’ average. The water level was 134.09 billion cubic metres (BCM) or 87 per cent of the full storage level of 154.877 BCM. Last year, the level was 71 per cent, while the 10-year average was 70 per cent.
The water level is above 80 per cent of the full storage level in at least 65 reservoirs.
Pulses and coarse cereals lead rabi sowings. Pulses have been sown on 20.47 lakh hectares, while it had not started at all last year the same time. In the case of coarse cereals, 21.32 lh have been covered against 9.47 lh.
Oilseeds coverage is also higher at 18.02 lh, while sugarcane sowing has doubled.
There is, however, a concern. Rains under the influence of the North-East monsoon that begins on October 1, have been deficient so far.
According to the India Meteorological Department, rainfall during the North-East Monsoon has been 38 per cent deficient.
Last week, the deficiency was two-third.
Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Assam, Meghalaya, madhya Maharashtra and south interior Karnataka, received deficient rainfall.