Torrential rain, flood damage 25% kharif sowing in Gujarat

Traders have estimated that at least 50,000 hectares of sowing have been damaged

Torrential rain and flooding, especially in north and Saurashtra, have resulted in at least 25 per cent loss in kharif sowing across crops such as cotton, groundnut, castor, pulses, guar and cereals.

According to government data, Gujarat saw kharif sowing on 6.06 million hectares, which was 70 per cent of last year’s 8.57 million hectares. Of these, major crops such as cotton and groundnut have seen sowing on 2.50 million hectares and 1.4 million hectares, respectively. However, the excess sowing this year might have been washed away by the excess rain, said government officials and traders.

Cereals have been sown on