Kharif sowing: UP draws roadmap for deficient rainfall amid subdued monsoon

UP government has decided that the paddy sowing would be encouraged only when the rainfall activity is abundant for the water-intensive crop

With the spectre of sub-optimum rainfall looming large in the Northern states, the Uttar Pradesh government has started to brace up for deficient rainfall in the backdrop of the kharif sowing season underway.

The multipronged strategy includes encouraging farmers to sow less water-intensive crops such as millets, optimally harnessing canals and tube wells for irrigation, going in for paddy only if monsoon activity picks up and motivating farmers to seek crop insurance cover.

So far, the monsoon activity has largely been subdued in UP with the state receiving only about 166 mm of rainfall since June 2018 against normal downpour of 356 mm during the same period. June was largely dry and the state received only 35.8 mm rainfall compared to the normal level of 88.7 mm, thus aggregating only 37.6%. In June 2017, the state had received much higher rainfall at 61.2 mm.

Although, the Yogi Adityanath government is optimistic rainfall activity could gain momentum in weeks to come and as forecast by the weather forecast agencies, the state is keeping a close watch on the emerging situation so as to insulate farmers against rainfall failure and even possible drought in some areas. Last week, UP agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi held a review meeting to take stock of the rainfall and kharif crop sowing situation.

The kharif sowing including paddy, pulses and coarse cereals have already reported to be less than normal due to weak monsoon and farmers awaiting monsoon to gain in strength before sowing the cash crops to cut on irrigation expenses and the concurrent uncertainty.

For example, sowing of paddy in UP currently stands at only 17.31 lakh hectares (LH) compared to normal sowing of 20.35 LH.

While three districts viz. Shravasti, Kheri and Mathura have so far reported higher than normal rainfall, only five other districts including Shahjahanpur, Hathras, Bahraich, Farrukhabad and Saharanpur had received between 80-100% rainfall. All other remaining 67 of the total 75 districts had received sub-optimum rainfall in the state.

Shahi has directed the state agriculture department to encourage farmers to sow millets and less water-intensive crops such as jowar, bajra, urad, moong, kodo (a type of millet), sawan (barnyard) etc. He has also directed officials to ensure easy and ready availability of their seeds to be distributed among farmers.

The government has decided that the paddy sowing would be encouraged only when the rainfall activity is abundant for the water-intensive crop. In fact, the agriculture minister had set the threshold of July 15 to decide the next course of action if monsoon does not revive by then and so far it has remained subdued in the state.

At the same time, the government is keeping a close watch over the arid zone of Bundelkhand too and plans to encourage farmers to sow jowar, bajra, soybean, arhar and other millet crops. Shahi has asked the state irrigation department to energise canals for operating at full capacity for irrigation and ensuring optimum utilisation of the government-run tube wells if rainfall is deficient.

In UP, the total sowing area is estimated at 166 LH, including both rabi and kharif crops. The kharif are alone is estimated at 94 LH, including 60 LH of paddy. So far, the total kharif sowing stands at about 30% against the target. Although, about 82% of the agricultural land in the state is irrigated, yet rainfall plays a vital role in irrigation and any failure results in lower farm output and burden on the exchequer.