Area under kharif crops slips further as rainfall deficit tops 10%

 

With rain deficit topping ten per cent from June 1 till Friday in the recent monsoon time, the coverage of kharif crops dropped more by 1.76 per cent cent as opposed with the corresponding interval a year back. Farmers have so far planted on 1,064 lakh hectares (lh) in opposition to 1,083 lh in the exact interval a year back. Very last 7 days, this gap in acreage was 1.fifty six per cent.

The area underneath rice, oilseeds, cotton and coarse cereals has dropped, even though sowing of pulses and sugarcane are up. Among oilseeds, the coverage of soyabean has improved but that of groundnut and sesame is down. Maize area is up in the coarse cereals basket, but coverage of other grains has declined. In the pulses portion, the area underneath arhar has improved, even though urad acreage is almost unchanged but that of moong is down.

Deficiency in N-W

The fall in acreage is largely on account of over fifty per cent deficient rainfall in Gujarat, specially the Saurashtra location, even though in western Rajasthan the deficit is 22 per cent. Inspite of the ten per cent deficient rainfall, kharif sowing has managed to continue to keep speed with typical acreage as the distribution of the monsoon has been superior. Deficiency of ample rainfall in north-western areas has resulted in cotton staying the most impacted. Its acreage is decreased by 8.five per cent year-on-year (YoY). Area underneath cotton is down to 117 lh (128 lh).

 

Rice area edges down

According to facts produced by the Agriculture Ministry, rice has been planted on 389 lh in opposition to 393 lh in the exact interval last kharif time. Uttar Pradesh with over 60 lh, West Bengal with 41 lh and Chhattisgarh with practically 37 lh have recorded a rise in acreage underneath rice, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. When most States more or significantly less managed their acreage as opposed with last year the earlier kharif time, there is a fall in planting in Chhattisgarh and an and an improved in Madhya Pradesh.

At practically 136 lh, the area underneath pulses is marginally higher YoY. Arhar has been planted on over 49 lh ( as as opposed with forty seven lh). This YoYnot only accounted for the rise is raise but even coated for practically two per cent fall in moong cultivation.

A marginal a person per cent raise in soyabean area at 121.five lh has not been able to compensate for the fall in groundnut acreage and as a final result the oilseeds area is 1.five per cent significantly less at 189.five lh. The area underneath coarse cereals, also, is down by 1.six per cent as as opposed with the exact 7 days a year back at 169 lh.

Storage levels down

H2o storage in 130 reservoirs monitored by Central H2o Commission is 108.fifty eight billion cubic metre (BCM) as opposed with 130.63 BCM all through the exact interval a year back.