Paddy, cotton crop to be good in Haryana, Punjab

The area under sugarcane, cotton and paddy has been on a rise, while that under guar and bajra has been low in this kharif season.

The area for paddy, the main kharif crop in Haryana, stood at 1.15 million hectares, compared to 1.09 million hectares covered in the corresponding period last year. This year, Haryana is eyeing production of 3.9 million tonnes (mt) of rice from the targeted 1.2 million hectares, as against 3.47 mt production of rice achieved last year from 1.24 million hectares.

With the state receiving some rainfall since mid-August, it has brightened prospects for the kharif crop. Till August 16, around 205.4 mm of rainfall was registered according to the meteorological department, as against the normal of 303.9 mm. The rain has brightened prospects for good kharif crops, especially paddy and cotton.

Cotton sowing in Haryana this year has seen an upward trend and scientist maintained rain in August would brighten the chances for bumper cotton production. The agriculture officials said cotton crop situation has approved following recent rain.

The state is eying production of 2.54 million bales this year(1 bale=170 kg) as against 1.74 million bales last year. The area under guar, derivatives of which are used by oil and food industry , was expected to increase following surge in demand of guar derivatives from export market.

Till date 215,000 hectares has been covered under guar in Haryana and target is to cover 300,000 hectares as against 250,000 hectares covered in the corresponding period last year. Rajasthan and Haryana together account for 80 per cent of the total production of guar in India with both states accounting for around 70 per cent of the area under guar.

Agriculture officials said the surge in cotton area this year affected guar and bajra crop, the area for which has shown a decline compared to corresponding period. Rain in the middle of August would certainly prove beneficial for kharif crops like paddy, cotton and sugarcane, as scientists predict it would also bring down the cost of cultivation. Punjab, till August 16, registered rainfall of 301.7 mm as against normal of 331.4 mm.The farm official said crops like paddy , cotton and sugarcane stand to gain from the timely rain which lashed the state in the second week of August.

The paddy area this kharif season in Punjab is expected to decline, even as other crops like cotton, sugarcane and maize stands to gain at the cost of paddy. The area under paddy till the first week of August was reported to be 2.72 million hectares as against 2.82 million hectares covered last year in the corresponding period. Paddy transplantation, including basmati, is almost complete across the state.

P S Rangi, consultant, Punjab State Farmers Commission said the paddy area in Punjab this year would remain less compared to the previous year. Even as the overall area in Punjab is likely to decline, the area under basmati would increase. The area under cotton in Punjab has shown promising trend, as is the case in Haryana.

Cotton sowing in Punjab is reported to be over an area of 560,000 hectares as against 483,000 hectares last year. While area under maize has touched 145,000 hectares as against 133,000 hectares last year, that under sugarcane increased to 90,000 hectares as against 70,000 hectares reached last year. Even for summer pulses like moong and arhar, the area has surged compared to previous year.