Oilseeds sowing yet to catch up

MONSOON WATCH

Crop sowing is gaining ground throughout the country though the total rainfall this season is about 9 per cent below normal.

Crops such as rice, pulses, cotton and sugarcane have been planted on more area than was covered till this time last year. But sowing of oilseeds, notably groundnut, and coarse cereals, mainly bajra (pearlmillet), is lagging.

The overall crop condition is reported good thanks to satisfactory spread of the rainfall almost all over, except south peninsula where nearly 49 per cent deficiency in rainfall is causing concern about field crops and plantations.

Though the rainfall is about 30 per cent below normal in north-east as well but, being a high-rainfall region, this deficit does not matter much for agriculture. In fact it is deemed good as there have been no major floods thus far.

Indeed, most part of the country has received normal rainfall since the first week of July. Central and northern India, which remained rain deficient in the early part of the season, has received copious rainfall in past couple of weeks.

As a result, the shortfall in cumulative rainfall since June 1 in this monsoon season, which was 14 per cent till July 26, has come down to 9 per cent by July 30.

There have been very heavy showers in many areas, especially Gujarat and Maharashtra, after July 30. More rainfall is predicted for the entire central India "" from Orissa to Gujarat "" and northern region in the next few days because of the build up of more rain-bearing systems, according to well know meteorologist Akhilesh Gupta of the Department of Science and technology.

However, he feels that the overall rainfall deficiency may remain around 9 per cent despite the anticipated plentiful showers as the benchmark for normal rainfall for July 15 to August 15 is fairly high. "On the whole, the performance of this year's monsoon is fairly good thus far", Gupta maintains.

In view of the recent heavy rainfall and floods in Gujarat, farmers have been advised to arrange for draining out water from the crop fields.

Farmers in the central Indian belt have been advised to complete the sowing of moong, urad and niger, besides the transplanting of paddy, in a week of so, taking advantage of the ongoing rainy spell which is likely to continue for some more days.

Western Rajasthan, which has also received rains in last few days and might get some more in the days to come, the farmers have been suggested to sow pulses such as moth, moong and clusterbean, besides coarse cereal bajra.

Reports received by the agriculture ministry from states till July 31 indicate that paddy sowing is in full swing all over the country.

Already, about 19.2 million hectares have been covered under this crop, against 18 million hectares covered till this date last year.

Among coarse cereals, the coverage under bajra and, to some extent, jowar is relatively low because of subdued rainfall till recently in the Rajasthan's coarsegrain belt. Maize has gained in area, notably in Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Rajasthan.

Pulses sowing has been about 3 per cent higher this season compared with last kharif owing to chiefly prevailing high prices. Almost all major pulses such as arhar, urad and moong have been planted on larger area.

However, moth sowing is low owing to poor rains in western Rajasthan. The sowing of this crop is likely to get going now thanks to recent rains.

In oilseeds, the shortfall in coverage is accounted for mainly by groundnut (24 per cent below last year's corresponding level) due to prolonged dry spell in July in the major groundnut belt of Andhra Pradesh.

However, rains received between July 26 and 28 in Rayalseema region is likely to facilitate planting of this crop.

Significantly, the coverage under soyabean is about 4 per cent higher than last year's corresponding level and some 11 per cent above the long period normal coverage.

This is owing to higher sowing in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The total water storage in 76 major reservoirs on July 28 was estimated by the Central Water Commission at 62.23 billion cubic metres (BCM), some 22 per cent higher than last year's corresponding level of 50.99 BCM. Compared to past 10 year's average, this level is about 46 per cent higher.