• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

Groundnut needs more rains in Saurashtra

G. Chandrashekhar

MUMBAI, Sept. 13

ALTHOUGH kharif groundnut crop at the national level is shaping up as expected, crop conditions in the Gujarat have started to cause concern. Saurashtra region, the famed groundnut bowl of the country, is desperately in need of more rains.

The crop is in a critical stage of pod maturation in many areas and it is now faced with the threat of moisture stress. Rains have to materialise over the next 4-5 days. Although the region is cloudy, prospects for rains are said to be not bright.

``More precipitation alone can save the groundnut crop from imminent damage'', said a Junagadh-based research scientist closely associated with groundnut promotion. Last year, Saurashtra suffered one of the worst drought in memory following mid-season dr ought caused by absence of rains in August.

It is estimated that groundnut cultivation in the State has been undertaken in nearly 16 lakh hectares this season. Major areas fall in the five districts of Saurashtra region - Junagadh, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Amreli and Bhavnagar.

According to the scientist, supplemental irrigation possibilities in Junagadh district will enable the crop to hold on for another 10 days or so without rains, while lack of such facilities in other districts could prove ruinous sooner. Reports from the field indicate that the crop in Amreli, Rajkot and Jamnagar districts might start to wither after a week or so, if no precipitation takes place.

End-season drought is known to affect maturity of the crop and yields. In case of groundnut, it can, in addition, lead to lower shelling percentage, lower oil content and possibly, aflatoxin contamination caused by moisture stress.

Given the critical condition of the crop, groundnut in-shell production in Gujarat has the potential to vary from a high of 15-16 lakh tonnes to a low of 8-10 lakh tonnes. The fate of the crop - in terms of both size and quality - will be decided over th e next 10 days.

However, reports from the southern States indicate satisfactory progress of the groundnut crop. In particular, Andhra Pradesh is poised to harvest a large crop that may partially offset possible losses in Gujarat.

Most observers agree that the 2000-01 kharif season groundnut crop would be higher than the low of 38 lakh tonnes harvested during the previous kharif. On current reckoning, on an all-India basis, groundnut harvest would register 54-55 lakh tonnes. If ra ins do not materialise in Saurashtra, the national output may recede to 48-50 lakh tonnes.