Below-normal monsoon rains in Karnataka are expected to severely affect green gram, tur, paddy and groundnut production.
Because of delayed monsoon rains in many districts, sowing operations are slow and yet to begin at a few places.
Traders and agriculture scientists say that if the current weather pattern continues for a month, the State may see pulses production drop by 80 per cent.
Sowing delayed
“By mid-July, sowing has taken place in only 80,000 hectares as against the normal coverage of 1.75 lakh hectares,” said Mr Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, president, Bangalore Wholesale Food Grains and Pulses Association.
“Lack of rains in May-June period has already affected green gram (moong) production. Green gram is a 45-day crop and the early crop should have been in the market by now, which has not happened,” he added.
As per the agriculture department statistics, green gram sowing has taken place in 1.17 lakh hectares as against coverage of 2.32 lakh hectares last year. Normal up to July 16 is 3.6 lakh hectares. Key green gram growing regions in the State are Gadag, Bagalkot and Raichur.
Effect on prices
“Delayed rains has affected cropping pattern in the State. This sequence change will have adverse effect on market arrivals and prices may fluctuate,” said Dr Balachandra K. Naik, head of Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (Demic), UAS-Dharwad.
“Due to good amount of rains in the last one month, sowing has improved in short-term crops such as green gram, tur, maize and sunflower. But sowing of a few seasonal crops such as cotton and chilli is yet to begin,” he added.
Similarly, the tur sowing is also slow in north Karnataka (Gulbarga and Bidar). Tur is a 90-day crop and the regions need regular rains to save the crop for next one month.
About 2.43 lakh hectares has come under tur this year compared with 2.94 lakh hectares covered last year. Normal coverage up to July 16 is 3.77 lakh hectares.
Paddy scene
Mr Lahoti said, “As for paddy, it needs copious rainfall. We need to wait and watch as it is raining in a few pockets.”
“This water intensive crop is grown in all the major river basins in the State. At present, all the reservoirs are empty. Going by water availability, the situation is bleak and we may see 50 per cent shortfall in production,” he added.
About 1.78 lakh hectares of paddy sowing has been completed as on July 16 compared with 2.07 lakh hectares last year. Normal coverage is 2.83 lakh hectares.