MP's soyabean growing belt staring at drought-like situation

Though monsoon has hit some parts of Central India, the main soyabean growing belt is facing more than 60% deficit rains from the normal

During the past three years Dhan Singh of Alot village of Ratlam district is expecting more yield than previous years from his soya fields.

"This year I cannot reap even a single kilogram of grain if I sow," he said. In this lesser known village most farmers have no alternate means of irrigation in case monsoon fails.

Singh is planning to switch over to maize like crops but weather conditions are very odd this year. Many farmers in the districts of western Madhya Pradesh have no alternate irrigation sources. "We have pinned our hopes on rain-God only," he further said.

Though monsoon has hit some parts of Central India, the main soyabean growing belt is staring at drought like situation with more than 60% deficit rains from the normal. This has resulted in no-sowing activity in entire Malwa region.

Not only Ratlam district but districts of Ujjain, Barwani, Khargone, Dewas, Mandsaur, Alirajpur, Neemuc and Jhabua have reported scanty rainfall.

Besides western Madhya Pradesh, Mandla, Katni, Tikamgarh, Sagar, Anuppur, Vidisha, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Singarauli, Balaghat, Shahdol, Raisen, Satna, Chhatarpur, Morena, Burhanpur all have received deficit rainfall.

"Sowing has been reported in hardly 10% area of the rabi crop vis-a-vis same period of the last season, that is, June till date," Rajesh Rajora, principal secretary, farmers' welfare and agriculture department said. The sowing, accordingly, has been reduced to only 5% if compared to the last entire Rabi season. Till July 15 Madhya Pradesh completes its entire Rabi season, particularly soya crop.

According to weathermen, only Sidhi, Rewa and Damoh distrticts have reported normal rainfall. Almost all other districts have deficit-to-scanty rainfall in the state. This year the state has expected an acraeage of 13.02 million hectare against 12.46 million hectare of the previous year.

"Soya acreage is likely to come down buy 10-20% this year due to twin problem of delayed monsoon and shortage of seed," a source in the state agricutlrue department said. Excpet for cotton (700,000) the soya sowing has been reported only in those areas where farmers have some alternate irrigation facilities. State has reported almost nill paddy sowing against expectation of 2.5 million hectare. Last year the state had paddy coverage on 2 million hectare. "Cotton sowing has been covered on almost 60% area," Rajora said. In the face of huge investment in irrigation and farm technics, contribution of the agriculture sector to GSDP is almost stagnant at 27-29%.