NEW DELHI: Recent monsoon has improved cultivation of kharif oilseeds, but sowing of pulses, coarse cereals, cotton and sugarcane is low compared to last year. This is due to deficient rain in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and the northeast.
On the other hand, Punjab has reported minor damage to paddy in some parts due to excessive rainfall.
The Crop and Weather Watch Group in the Agriculture Ministry, at a review here on Friday, noted that paddy coverage was higher at 324.63 lakh hectares than 303.56 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year.
“There is no cause for concern,” Agriculture Secretary P.K. Mishra told The Hindu. He said there might not be record production in pulses and coarse cereals, but overall the foodgrains output was targeted to be higher than last year. Moisture in soil would help the rabi crop.
The Group noted that sowing of coarse cereals was over on 184.1 lakh hectares compared to 204 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. There was a shortfall in the acreage of jowar, bajra and maize.
The area under pulses was 95.6 lakh hectares compared to 112.9 lakh hectares the same period last year. A break in monsoon impacted sowing of arhar, urad and moong in the crucial States of Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Sugarcane was sown on 44.1 lakh hectares (53 lakh hectares) cotton cultivated on 85.9 lakh hectares (90.7 lakh hectares).
Impressive recovery
However, in the case of oilseeds, there was an impressive recovery with soybean exceeding last year’s cultivation at 94.1 lakh hectares. Groundnut cultivation also picked up at 94.1 lakh hectares compared to 50.8 lakh hectares last year.
The total live storage in 81 important reservoirs in the country was 86.161 billion cubic metres (BCM) on August 21 against 103.175 BCM the same time last year. (Hindu)
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