The Hindu Business Line : Kharif sowing in full swing; bumper crop likely

Snapshot
The munificent rains have resulted in higher sowing rates of coarse cereals, cotton, oilseeds and pulses, with only rice somewhat lagging behind.
An area of 60.778 lakh hectares (lh) to have been planted so far in the ongoing kharif season, as against 58.481 lh for the corresponding period of 2006

Our Bureau

New Delhi, July 6 Acreages under most kharif crops have increased significantly on the back of excellent monsoon rains so far, boosting hopes of a further easing of inflationary pressures in the economy.

During the current south-west monsoon season (June-September), the country as a whole had received an average area-weighted rainfall of 237.6 millimeters (mm) till July 4. This is 20.3 per cent higher than the historical ‘normal’ or long period average (LPA) of 197.5 mm for this period.

As many as 20 out of 36 meteorological sub-divisions have recorded ‘excess’ precipitation (20 per cent or more above LPA), while being ‘normal’ (within plus or minus 80 per cent of LPA) in 11 others. The only areas to have experienced lacklustre monsoon activity are eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Madhya Pradesh.

The munificent rains have resulted in higher sowing rates of coarse cereals, cotton, oilseeds and pulses, with only rice somewhat lagging behind. The Agriculture Ministry’s Crop Weather Watch report, released here on Friday, shows an area of 60.778 lakh hectares (lh) to have been planted so far in the ongoing kharif season, as against 58.481 lh for the corresponding period of 2006.

Farmers have sown 17.134 lh under bajra (against last year’s 14.45 lh), 12.813 lh under jowar (12.089 lh), and 27.035 lh under maize (28.751 lh).

Cotton area

Cotton acreages have gone up even more — from 37 lh to 59.60 lh, with Bt cotton alone accounting for an estimated 23.36 lh till now. The progressive area under oilseeds, too, is up from 32.63 lh to 42.27 lh. The latter includes 19.39 lh under groundnut (16.14 lh), 14.80 lh under soybean (9.23 lh), 3.33 lh under sesamum (2.93 lh), 3.23 lh under sunflower (3.33 lh), and 1.39 lh under castor (0.84 lh).

Pulses coverage has so far been higher, at 26.574 lh (20.07 lh), led by arhar at 8.604 (6.021), moong at 7.388 (6.566), and urad at 5.819 (2.147). Only rice has reported a decline in cumulative coverage, from 47.72 lh to 46.02 lh, lagging mainly in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. In Punjab, some rice area has been diverted to cotton.

In all, the country seems well set for a bumper kharif crop, provided the monsoon holds its current course.

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