Rabi sowing in Guj dips 21%

Saurashtra, Kutch regions witnessed reduced sowing area because of water shortage

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Rabi sowing in Gujarat, which culminated in the first week of February, was nearly 21 percent down because of water scarcity arising out of a weak monsoon. Area of wheat and jeera, two major crops sown during winter, reduced considerably in Saurashtra and Kutch regions.

According to the data shared by the Gujarat agriculture department, winter crops were sown on 3.05 million hectares in 2014-15 as against 3.85 million hectares in 2013-14, down about 21 per cent.

Crop sowing in winter in the state generally begins after Diwali, but this year, it was delayed by almost a month because of unfavourable weather till November end. Sowing, though, picked up in December but failed to match previous year's mark.

Data suggests that as on January 27, wheat was sown on 1.14 million hectares area, down by 354,900 hectares from last year's 1.49 million hectares. Sowing of jeera was reported on 266,700 hectares in 2014-15 as against 455,000 hectares in 2013-14, a reduction of nearly 42 percent.

Maize sowing, which was registered on 110,600 hectares last year, has gone down by 13 per cent to 96,000 hectares this season.

Sources in the Gujarat agriculture department have attributed the reduction in sowing in Saurashtra and Kutch regions to water shortage for irrigation on account of poor monsoon in the area. Consequently, farmers did not take the risk to plant winter crops.

Only Junagadh and Surendranagar districts received adequate water for irrigation while rest of the areas faced water shortage, resulting in reduced winter crop sowing in these areas.

Saurashtra region generally leads in wheat sowing but this time, wheat sowing was restricted to 262,500 hectares as against 525,000 hectares last year. Overall sowing area in Saurashtra reduced 40 percent from 1.12 million hectares in 2013-14 to 738,200 hectares in 2014-15.

Onion sowing area also went down from 72,600 hectares to 44,300 hectares while sowing area of gram and other pulses declined by about 90,000 hectares or 32 per cent to 190,200 hectares this year from 280,100 hectares registered in 2013-14.

Drastic fall has also been witnessed in sowing of garlic, which was covered only on 7,600 hectares area this year as against 40,600 hectares in the previous year.