With the Kharif sowing picking up, thanks to early monsoon, the Gujarat government estimates around 9 million hectares to be brought under cultivation for various crops this season (June-September). Last year, 8.9 million hectares were under Kharif cultivation.
What's more, Kharif production is also likely to rise by 5 per cent. Around 10 per cent of sowing is over mainly in Kutch and Saurashtra regions of the state.
The average acreage and production of food grains in Gujarat over the last three year comes to around 3.38 million hectares and 6.11 million tonnes (MT) respectively. As compared to this, the state authorities have aimed at a higher target of foodgrain acreage and production this Kharif season at 3.42 million hectares and 6.66 million tonne.
Similarly, area to be brought under pulses cultivation is estimated to rise to 0.99 million hectares during Kharif 2008-09 as against the average acreage of 0.84 million hectares, while the state government targets around 0.7 million tonnes of pulses production, up from 0.65 million tonne last Kharif season, Agriculture Minister of Gujarat Dilip Sanghani told Business Standard.
According to him, farmersmay give a thrust on cotton and groundnut cultivation following higher prices realised by them in 2007-08. Area to be brought under oilseed crops is targeted at 3.34 million hectares and its production at 4.71 million tonnes. The average acreage and production of oilseeds in Gujarat has been 2.93 million hectares and 4.14 million tonnes respectively over the last three years.
Government expects area under groundnut crop is likely to be higher at 1.85 million hectares than average of 1.77 lakh hectares. Similarly, the production target has also been kept at 2.75 million MT this Kharif season as against the average production of 2.64 million MT.
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The target of cotton crop area shows that around 2.24 million hectares are likely to witness cotton sowing while the average acreage over the past three years in Gujarat is 2.26 million hectares. However, cotton production is estimated to rise at 8.95 million bales as compared to average production 7.6 million bales. The increase in production is attributed to availability of good quality Bt cotton seed at an affordable prices.
As far as other Kharif crops are concerned, the state government aims to cover 0.65 million, 1.07 million, 0.72 million and 0.48 million hectares under paddy, wheat. bajra and maize at respectively for Kharif 2008-09. The production of these crops is estimated to be 1.12 million, 3.21 million, 77 million and 0.63 million MT respectively.
It may be mentioned here that the total area covered under the Rabi season in 2007-08 surpassed the state government's target by 28 per cent at 3.97 million hectares. The target for the Rabi season was kept at 3.09 million hectares, Sanghani added.