 "Summer sowing in Gujarat dips 22% on lack of water for irrigation")
As per Gujarat agriculture department's final report, summer sowing has been done on 758,600 hectares area this year, down by 215,300 hectares from 973,900 hectares in 2015.
As compared to last three years average, sowing in this summer has fallen around 31%. The state's three years average is 1.10 million hectares.
"In 2015, monsoon was not good which created a water shortage mainly in Suarashtra, Kutch and parts of north Gujarat. Because of it this area of summer crops have decreased almost 22% as compared to last year," said an official of the state agriculture department.
The biggest decline in area has been seen in sugarcane and sesame by 97% and 80% respectively. Sowing of sugarcane has been done on 3,200 hectares as against 105.600 hectares while sesame seed has covered 13,000 hectares against 68,300 hectares.
According to data from the state government, area under bajara, maize, mung and guar gum also reduced in 2016. Guar gum sowing has fell by 56.33% to 10,000 hectares, moong area declined by 24.15% to 33,600 hectares, maize covered 16.43% less to 6,100 hectares and sowing of bajara has declined by 10.40% to 249,800 hectares in this summer.
However, crop such as paddy, groundnut, onion and udad have seen quite good sowing. Sowing of paddy increased by 12.70%, whereas udad area has gone up by 260% and groundnut sowing has gained by 18.60%. Onion area has increased by 18.68%.
Udad has covered 9,000 hectares as against 2,500 hectares while groundnut sowing has increased to 59,300 hectares as against 50,000 hectares. Area of paddy has gone up from 29,900 hectares to 33,700 hectares this year. Onion has been sown on 10,800 hectares as against 9,100 hectares.