Karnataka kharif acreage up 6 per cent

Karnataka kharif crop coverage as of September 19,2005 is 71.14 lakh hectares, up 6 per cent (4.18 lakh hectare) to the normal coverage of 66.96 lakh hectare. Last year, the coverage was at 71.23 lakh hectare. For this year (2005-06), kharif target areas has been fixed at 69.47 lakh hectare.

According to the 'Agriculture operations and crop condition report' prepared by the Karnataka agriculture department, sowing status was above normal in 16 districts, normal in 10 districts and below normal in one district.It has improved in two districts.

Crop wise sowing in the state is as follows: Cereals - kharif coverage of 34.89 lakh hectares has been achieved as against a target of 34.05 lakh hectare (normal coverage 32.85 lakh hectares).

While the coverage under jowar and minor millets is less than the coverage for the corresponding period of last year, the coverge under rice, ragi, maize and bajra is more than the coverage of corresponding period of last year.

Rice - area coverage as of September 19 is 9.79 lakh hectare (target 9.55 lakh hectare ), jowar - 3.19 lakh hectare (3.64 lakh hectare), ragi - 8.67 lakh hectare (8.88 lakh hectare), maize - 8.30 lakh hectare (7.23 lakh hectare), bajra - 4.27 lakh hectare (3.95 lakh hectare) and minor millets - 0.67 lakh hectare (0.79 lakh hectare).

Pulses - Actual coverage as of September 19 is 12.11 lakh hectare (target 12.52 lakh hectare and normal coverage 11.33 lakh hectare).On the whole, pulses recorded a decrease in coverage of 1.49 lakh hectare in comparison to last year of 13.60 lakh hectare. The coverage under blackgram, greengram and cowpea is less than the coverage for the corresponding period of last year.

Tur - Actual area coverage as of September 19 is 5.66 lakh hectare (target 5.05 lakh hectare), horsegram - 1.05 lakh hectare (1.55 lakh hectare), blackgram - 0.66 lakh hectare (0.88 lakh hectare ), greengram - 2.93 lakh hectare (3.31 lakh hectare ), cowpea and others - 0.85 lakh hectare (0.84 lakh hectare ) and avare - 0.96 lakh hectare (0.88 lakh hectare).

Oil seed - actual coverage as of September 19 is 17.61 lakh hectare (target 16.96 lakh hectare and normal coverage is 16.39 lakh hectare). The total coverage of oil seeds during kharif season is more than the last year's coverge by 0.51 lakh hectare.

The coverage under sesamum and soyabean is less than the coverage for the corresponding period of last year. The coverage under groundnut, sesamum and niger is less than the normal coverage.

Groundnut - Actual area coverage as of September 19 is 8.03 lakh hectare (target 8.56 lakh hectare), sesamum - 0.86 lakh hectare (0.98 lakh hectare ), sunflower - 6.45 lakh hectare (5.13 lakh hectare), castor - 0.35 lakh hectare (0.35 lakh hectare), niger - 0.39 lakh hectare (0.38 lakh hectares), mustard - 0.09 lakh hectare (0.08 lakh hectare) and soyabean - 1.44 lakh hectare.