The prolonged dry spell in most parts of the agriculturally-significant north-western region is causing concern. It has jeopardised the production prospects of rainfed crops, chiefly oilseeds and pulses.
Though the area, planted with wheat so far, is larger than the area planted in the corresponding period last year, thanks largely to proper irrigation, the sowing of the rain-fed crops, notably oilseeds and to some extent pulses, is lagging behind for the want of adequate soil moisture.
However, the outlook for rabi rice in West Bengal and southern states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka continues to be positive as these areas have received good post-southwest monsoon rainfall. The northwest monsoon in the south, too, was normal.
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In the northern rabi belt, on the other hand, there has hardly been any winter rain so far. The weather office, however, is hopeful of the formation of a western disturbance that brings rain to this part of the country around this time of the year. If this optimism holds true, the crop sowing activity can still pick up, say agriculture experts.
According to the information received by the agriculture ministry from states, the total area sown with rapeseed and mustard, the main rabi oilseed crops, till November-end was about two lakh hectares lower than in the corresponding period last year.
In Rajasthan, one of the important rapeseed/mustard producing states, the crop was planted only on about 15 lakh hectares by the end of November, against about 16 lakh hectares last year and nearly 22 lakh hectares a year before. The area covered so far is only about half of the normal annual coverage of about 29.5 lakh hectares in the state.
In the case of rabi pulses, notably gram, though the total area coverage so far is higher than in the same period last year, the crop situation in some of the important states is not too good. The bulk of the increase in area is accounted for by larger plantings in Karnataka. The acreage covered in Madhya Pradesh, the most important pulse producing state, is lagging behind the last year