Kharif sowing completed in 60% area in Odisha

The pace gathered in Kharif sowing in Odisha on the back of even distribution of monsoon rains. More than 62 per cent of the total targeted area of 6.145 million hectares (mha) has been brought under kharif crops till August 5.

Till August 5, sowing was completed on 3.845 mha against 3.781 mha covered in the corresponding previous year. The acreage of paddy, a major kharif (summer-sown) crop, rose by 5 per cent per cent to 2.335 mha from 2.222 mha in the year-ago period. Sowing of kharif (summer) crops begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June. Similarly, about 2.725 mha have been brought under the cereals cultivation against the target to cover 4.080 mha in Kharif -2013. Of the target set to cultivate 0.96 mha of pulses, 0.348 mha have been covered till August 5. Agro meteorologist suggest that the farmers must go for transplanting of rice.

" The farmers should go for sowing of pulses in fallow rainfed uplands and start transplanting of rice and beusaning of direct seeded paddy", said Anupama Baliarsingh, associate professor, department of Agrometeorology at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).