Karnataka may have bumper maize, tur crop

Despite an overall deficit of eight per cent rainfall between June 1 and July 26, the sowing operations have gained momentum in Karnataka during the second half of July. Though the rain played a spoilsport during the second half of June and second week of July across the state, the rainfall situation has fairly improved throughout the state during the second fortnight of July.

As against the normal rainfall of 410 mm during the period till July 26, the state has received 376 mm, showing a drop of eight per cent. Going by the sowing trend so far, the state is likely to reap bumper maize, tur and cotton crops.

Sowing operations have been completed in 4.27 million hectares as against the kharif target of 7.46 million hectares, accounting for 57 per cent of the target across the state. The state agriculture department expects the sowing to touch 5 million hectares by end of July, which is about 95 per cent of the normal coverage for July. Last year, for the same period, sowing was completed in 4.69 million hectares.

“Going by the current monsoon spread, we would be happy if sowing is completed in 7.13 million hectares,” an official in the state agriculture department said. Sowing is expected to pick up in the north and south districts of Karnataka during the last week of July.

For the year 2010-11, the state has set a foodgrain target of 12.37 million tonnes, an increase of 16 per cent over the actual production of 10.65 million tonnes achieved in 2009-10. The target for kharif season is fixed at 8.72 million tonnes.

For the current kharif, the area sown for jowar is unsatisfactory. As against the target of 253,000 hectares, the sowing is completed only in 171,000 hectares, showing a coverage of 68 per cent as on July 22. As the sowing for jowar ends by July 15, most of the farmers are shifting towards redgram and cotton for the current year, according to data from agriculture department.

Sowing for ragi has just started and paddy has seen satisfactory coverage so far. The state is likely to see bumper maize crop during the current crop year. As against the target of 1.08 million hectares, sowing has been completed in 748,000 hectares, showing a coverage of 69 per cent of the target.

According to officials, the area sown under tur (redgram) has increased by 24 per cent to 512,000 hectares as on July 19 compared to the corresponding period last year.

As compared to the target for the current year 76 per cent of the sowing has been completed. During the year, the coverage by total pulses is more than the last year coverage and the normal coverage by 93,000 hectares and 17,000 hectares respectively. As against the target of 1.51 million hectares, sowing has been completed in 1.03 million hectares. Similarly, in case of cotton, sowing has been completed in 85 per cent of the target area of 327,000 hectares as on July 26.

As far as sugarcane is concerned, the targeted area under planting has already been achieved at 366,000 hectares. The fertilizer position is quite comfortable in the state this year. The state government is supplying seeds at 50 per cent subsidy to farmers this year.