Kharif sowing picks up in Karnataka

Last year, production couldn't meet the target due to a drought across the state-of the 176 taluks, 126 taluks were reeling under drought

Sowing of foodgrains, oilseeds and cash crops is underway in full swing in all the 175 taluks in Karnataka, thanks to copious rains. In the first three weeks since the onset of the monsoon, sowing was 'above-normal'.

In the June 1-17 period, the state recorded 128 mm of rainfall, against the normal 96 mm.

Between June 1 and June 20, sowing was completed across 1.86 million hectares, about 25 per cent of the total targeted area for this kharif season, according to data available with the department of agriculture. In the corresponding period last year, sowing was completed across 7,29,000 hectares. The state agriculture department has set a target of 7.42 million hectares for this kharif season, about 41,000 hectares less than last year. Owing to deficient rains in the last kharif season, farmers could complete sowing in about 6.28 million hectares of the targeted 7.47 million hectares.

In this kharif season, the state aims to cover 5.09 million hectares under foodgrains, 1.28 million hectares under oilseeds and 1.05 million hectares under cash crops. It is targeting total foodgrain production of 9.42 million tonnes (mt), eight per cent higher than last year. According to the second advance estimates, in the last kharif season, foodgrain production stood at 8.75 mt. For the entire year, foodgrain production is pegged at 12.5 mt, according to the second advance estimate.

Last year, production couldn't meet the target due to a drought across the state-of the 176 taluks, 126 taluks were reeling under the drought.

For this kharif season, farmers have started sowing maize, jowar, green gram, groundnut, castor, sunflower, cotton and tobacco in the southern areas. In the northern parts of the state, sowing is underway for tur, bajra, black gram, til and soybean. Sowing for paddy and ragi would commence in the first week of July.

In the first three weeks of June, sugarcane sowing was carried out across about 44,000 hectares, against the normal 94,000 hectares. For this year, the state agriculture department has set a target of planting sugarcane in about 4,67,000 hectares.

Cotton has been sown across 1,70,000 hectares, 179 per cent more than the normal; the state has set a target of 4,73,000 hectares for this year. Tobacco was cultivated across 80,000 hectares, against the target of 115,000 hectares for the entire year. Sowing in the June 1-20 period was above-normal in 14 districts, normal in four districts, below-normal in five districts and negligible in seven, according to the department of agriculture.

In the June 1-17 period, of the 176 taluks, 112 received excess rainfall, 41 recorded normal rains and 23 have been classified under the deficit-rains category. In the corresponding period last year, rainfall was excess in five taluks, normal in six and scanty in 124.