Kharif sowing picks up in Odisha

The kharif sowing in the state has picked up on the back of excess monsoon rains in June.

The state has received 19.2 per cent excess rainfall during June 1 to 22. Sowing of kharif (summer) crops begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June.

The crop area coverage as on June 20, was 0.42 million hectares (mha) against 0.39 mha sown in the same time last year, an increase of more than seven per cent.

Cereals have been sown in 0.27 mha while pulses coverage area stood at 0.006 mha. Similarly oilseed, fibres and vegetables were sown in 0.011 mha, 0.018 and 0.084 mha respectively. Spice coverage area was 0.03 mha as on June 20.

The total targeted area to be brought under the kharif cultivation in 2015-16 is 6.166 mha. It may be noted that the state government has set food grain production target of 10.1 million tonne (mt) in the kharif, 2015. This year's target includes 9.51 mt of cereals and 0.587 mt of pulses. The cereals include 8.24 mt rice, 1.09 mt maize, 0.162 mt ragi. Pulses production target comprises 0.19 mt of arhar, 0.15 mt of mung and 0.176 mt of biri.

As per the kharif campaign 2015, cereals will be cultivated on about 4.106 million hectare (ha) of land with a productivity ratio of 2,316 kg per ha. This includes rice cultivation on 3.5 million ha with yield rate of 2,355 kg per ha, maize on 0.4 million ha with productivity quotient of 2,755 kg per ha and ragi on 0.18 million ha with yield rate of 902 kg per ha.

It is also targeted to cultivate pulses on 0.965 million ha with productivity ratio of 609 kg per ha.

The kharif sowing area include 0.473 million ha of oilseeds, 0.171 million ha of fibres per bales, 0.351 million ha of vegetables and 0.10 million ha of spices.

"Condition is favourable for sowing of non-paddy and paddy crops. Farmers can go for sowing of long duration non-paddy crops in uplands such as ground nuts, cotton, maize. They can opt for paddy varieties like Khandagiri and Sahabhagi, which are of less than 100 days duration, in uplands," said Anupama Baliarsingh, associate professor, department of Agrometeorology at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).