Karnataka in for bumper onion crop

The spiralling prices of onions in Karnataka may be a short term phenomenon as the state is gearing up for a bumper onion and potato crop this season.

With good monsoon in the entire state, acreage of the onion crop is up 40.54 per cent at 1.2 lakh hectares as of October 10 this year as against 87,362 hectares sown in the corresponding period last year (October 8, 2004). It is 59.30 per cent above the normal coverage of 77,075 hectares.

Area under potato has gone up sharply by 62.59 per cent at 45,355 hectares as against 27,895 hectares covered during the corresponding period last year (October 8, 2004). This is about 60.65 per cent above the normal coverage of 28,231 hectares.

Chilly cultivation is down by 4.11 per cent at 1,37,018 hectares as against the 1,42,903 hectares sown in the corresponding period last year (October 8, 2004). Normal coverage by October 8 is 1,26,553 hectares.

Area under tomato is marginally up by around 7.28 per cent at 21,488 hectares as against 20,028 hectares sown in the corresponding period last year (October 8, 2004). Normal coverage by October 8 is 19,548 hectares.

According to the Karnataka directorate of horticulture, Chitradurga, Dharwad and Gadag districts have witnessed increased onion sowing activity. In Belgaum, no damage was reported in the heavy rains.

In Chitradurga, the area has increased by 16,344 hectares. In Davanagere district, due to heavy rains, 40 hectares of onion crop was damaged and 'thrips and leaf spot' disease has been noticed in the crop.

Harvesting is in progress in a few parts of Davanagere and Chitradurga taluks. Due to continuous rains sowing has been stopped in Bijapur district.

Hassan and Belgaum districts are major potato growing areas in the state. In Hassan the potato crop is to be harvested soon and some portion of the crop has already been harvested. Farmers are practising inter-cropping and plant protection measures are on to avoid diseases to the standing crop.

Due to rains in Dharwad district, crop damage is expected to be 40 to 45 per cent. In Bangalore rural, Belgaum and Dharwad districts, the general condition of the crop was good.

Tomato is widely grown in many districts but in Gadag district, the crop area increased 164 per cent and in Davanagere district, the area has increased by 283 per cent over the normal area due to good rains. In many places an early crop is in the bearing stage and the late sown crop is in their flowering stage.

In Hassan district, around 22 hectares of chilli crop was destroyed due to heavy rains.

In Dharwad district no major loss has been reported. In Gadag and Bangalore rural districts, area under chilli has increased due to good monsoon. In Belgaum district 181.9 hectares are affected due to rains. In Shimoga district, due to increase in maize crop, area under chilli has dropped.