Floods ravaged Maha, still 98% sowing done

MONSOON WATCH

In Tamil Nadu, rice, sugarcane and groundnut are the major crops. Most of the rainfall is received in the state between October and December owing to the north-east monsoon. The final picture of crops will emerge towards the end of December when the next monsoon has run its course.

The signals available so far have been good. Farm operations for the "samba" crop (key crop with a cycle from August to January) has begun.

Andhra Pradesh: In Andhra Pradesh, 80 per cent of the sowing operations have been completed even though there was no rainfall June. Inflows from upper catchment areas in Karnataka and Maharastra into the major reservoirs on Krishna and Godavari are helping to irrigate the entire area under canal systems.

Trends suggest that overall acreage and production of major crops such as paddy, maize, cotton will increase. The targets set for the present Kharif season, in terms of acreage and production, which are higher compared with previous year, are expected to be surpassed in most of the cases owing to good rains and sufficient water in reserviors.

The foodgrain sowing target for the current kharif is 43.39 lakh hectares compared with 39.89 lakh hectares in last kharif. About 24.50 lakh hectares are envisaged under oilseeds, against 23.15 lakh hectares in last season.

As per the state agriculture action plan, total crop area is expected to touch 82 lakh hectares during the present Kharif season compared with the normal crop area of 78 lakh hectares. Officials say that crop area may increase even further.

Paddy acreage is expected to go up to 23.7 lakh hectares, compared with 22.15 lakh hectares in previous Kharif, even as only 52 per cent of the sowing operations were completed till mid-August. Rice production is projected at 68.97 lakh tonne. Owing to successive droughts, the area under water-intensive paddy has been declining in the past few years.

Maize is sown in 6.6 lakh hectares as compared to 5.25 lakh hectares of normal area. So far Cotton is sown in 8 lakh hectares as compared with the target of 9 lakh hectares. The acreage of other crops such as Mesta, Groundnut is also on the rise.

Groundnut occupies more than 50 per cent of the total oil seed crop area during the Kharif season. It has been estimated to be sown in 14 lakh hectares so far.

The action plan projections for major crops during the present kharif season, including maize(17.62 lakh tonnes), groundnut(15.58 lakh tonnes), pulses(5.97 lakh tonnes), cotton(23.03 lakh bales) are expected to be surpassed. Sugarcane, which is estimated at 2.10 lakh hectares also expected go up this time.

Total area under pulses is projected at 10.04 lakh hectares compared with 8.81 lakh hectares during Kharif-2004. Of this, Redgram is estimated to be sown in 5.20 lakh hectares compared with 4.80 lakh hectares in Kharif-2004.

The area under Greemgram is estimated to be about 3.60 lakh hectares compared with 3.04 lakh hectares in the last Kharif. Production of redgram and greengram is expected to be about 3.21 lakh tonnes(2.82lakh tonnes last year) and 1.93 lakh tonnes (1.11 lakh tonnes last year).

Madhya Pradesh: The country's soyabean output is likely to remain at last year's level this year. If Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra do not receive further rainfall, the yield may even shrink. The acreage of soya has declined from 72.083 lakh hectares to 69.076 lakh hectares.

Last year India's soya output stood at 58.510 lakh tones. Soyabean producers' association (Sopa) chairman Rajesh Agrawal told BS that India could expect a similar output this year but much will depend upon rainfall in coming weeks.

Sopa's state-wise survey has revealed 8.500 lakh hectare (22%) has excellent crop, 9.274 lakh hectare (24%) has good crop, 8.115 lakh hectares or 33% has average crop and 12.751 lakh hectare or 33% has below average crop as a result MP may lose productivity this year. According to soya experts the yield may come down to as low as 32-34 lakh tonnes.

Primarily, the earlier sown crop has been damaged owing to continuous rains in Sagar and Rewa Divisions. Minor incidence of semi lopper was observed in early sown crop with the recent rains in the third week of July, it has been washed away leading to good crop condition.The soyabean crop survey in Maharashtra has revealed delay in completing crop sowing.

According to Sopa observations, a total of 20.035-lakh hectare have been planted with this crop in the state. There is shift over to soybean from the early-sown cotton and small millets. Till the first week of August, re-sowing has been reported in some areas.

Rajasthan: In Sopa survey revealed that the sowing of soyabean was completed by third week of July on about 6.574 lakh hectares, about 15% higher than the last year's area. but moisture stressed griped the crop due to scanty rainfall subsequently. Now, the situation has improved due to further rainfall. The condition of the crop is satisfactory and may lead to average productivity.

Maharashrta: Despite the floods that ravaged Maharashtra and delayed sowing considerably, latest figures from the state agriculture ministry indicate that 98 per cent of the area is already covered by mid-August.

Of the normal area of 136.77 lakh hectrare, sowing has been completed in 133.62 lakh hectare and in the coming week, it is expected that almost the entire area would be covered.

During the same period last year, the total area covered was 96 per cent.Paddy is normally sown on 14.79 lakh hectare. Of this, 12.86 lakh hectare has already been covered accounting for 87 per cent.

Jowar has been sown in 13.81 lakh hectare out of a normal area of 16.48 hectare, roughly covering 84 per cent. The acreage of maize has increased to 5 lakh hectare as compared with 2.45 lakh hectare in a normal year.

Cereals have been planted in 48.30 lakh hectare out of a normal area of 54.96 lakh hectare, accounting for 88 per cent, and pulses in 21.19 lakh hectare out of 28.84 lakh hectare, accounting for 82 per cent.

Oilseed acreage has considerably increased, taking into account the sowing in the last five years that was hampered by inadequate rainfall and drought. Oilseed acreage has increased to 29.44 lakh hectare compared with 18.53 lakh hectare.

Cotton has covered 92 per cent of the area, with sowing taking place in 28.36 lakh hectare out of 30.86 lakh hectare. Fresh sowing of sugarcane in July-August is estimated at one lakh hectare, with last years standing crop covering 5.23 lakh hectare due for crushing after October. This is compared with last year's acreage of 6.60 lakh hectare.

West Bengal: The cropping situation in West Bengal presents a mixed picture, partly owing to the late onset of the monsoon and also because some districts of the state are still seriously deficient in rainfall.

The southern Bengal districts of Burdwan, North 24-parganas, South 24-parganas, Howrah and Hoogly are best placed, with rivers full and adequate rainfall. Areas like Sunderbans, which grow spices such as chillies, have seen a bumper crop, pushing down prices of the product in markets.

In the rice bowl of Bengal, Burdwan district, sowing has been 100 per cent and the crop outlook looks excellent despite a rare attack of field crabs which threaten paddy shoots. The only problem is the shortage of paddy seeds. This happened because the growing period for seeds, upto the first week of August, saw short rains, the average precipitation being only 75 per cent of normal.

According to official sources, sowing is fine in about 75 per cent of the area and tricky in the rest.

The other southern districts of west and east Midnapore have recently turned to green crops and vegetables but the market for the products is still too small in West Bengal to fetch remunerative returns.In the central Bengal districts such as Nadia, the bumper jute crop is facing a threat because of lack of water for retting.

Jute needs 125 to 135 days to reach full maturity and the crop acreage and quality is good this year despite lack of seasonal rains, said sources in the Indian Jute Mills Association.

(With inputs from state correspondents)