Excess rainfall in July speeds up crop sowing in state

The kharif sowing in the state has picked up with the normal rainfall recorded in July till date.

According to the data of the directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, kharif crops coverage, till July 19, stood at about 2.69 million hectares (mha), compared to 2.727 mha a year ago, just 1.35 per cent less.

Crop-wise cultivation figures show that paddy, a major kharif crop, has been sown on 1.599 mha compared to 1.651 mha in the same period last year. The state government had targeted paddy sowing on 3.6 mha land in its 2014 kharif campaign.

The state has set a target to bring 6.15 mha of land under cultivation during the current kharif season. This includes 4.11 mha for cereals, 0.96 mha for pulses, 0.45 mha for oilseeds, 0.17 mha for fiber, 0.36 mha for vegetable and 0.10 mha for spices.

In June, the crop coverage area was down by about 38.33 per cent at 0.387 mha on the back of scanty monsoon rainfall. The crop sowing coverage area was about 0.628 mha till June 21, 2013.

During July 1 to 21, the state has received 330 mm actual rainfall against normal rainfall of 230.3 mm, with a deviation of 43.5 per cent in the positive direction, which is categorized as excess compared to June. Last month, the state had received 98.5 mm rain fall against the required rainfall of 216.5 mm, about 54.5 per cent deficient.

According to met terminology, a rainfall more than 19 per cent above the normal rainfall in the monsoon period is termed as ‘excess’ while 19 per cent above or below normal rainfall is catergorised as ‘normal’. Between 20 per cent and 59 per cent below normal is deficient and it is called ‘scanty’ when rainfall is between 60 per cent and 99 per cent below normal.

The crop coverage area till July include cereals in 1.86 mha, pulses in 0.223 mha, oil seeds in 0.096 mha, fibres in 0.124 mha, vegetables in 0.315 mha and spices in 0.69 mha.

“Transplanting and beusaning of paddy is under progress, so also sowing of non paddy crops like maize, ragi, pulses and vegetable. Overall crop condition is normal”, said the directorate report.