Weak rain a concern for North India: Pawar

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said that a weak monsoon was posing serious problems in the rice and sugarcane growing northern states, especially Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, even though the overall rainfall in the country in July was improving after a dismal June.

“The monsoon situation as of today is improving, but there are serious problems in Punjab, Haryana, parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh,” Pawar said during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha.

The lack of rainfall has come down drastically in the week to July 8, after a very poor spell in June. The weighted average rainfall in the country was 36 per cent below normal, raising serious concerns over sowing of oilseeds, pulses and grains. Nearly 60 per cent of the country’s arable land is unirrigated and depends largely on the annual June-September monsoon rains.

Pawar said the government has prepared contingency plans to tackle the situation arising out of any shortfall in rain. Detailing the measures to be adopted in case of a bad monsoon, Pawar said the agriculture ministry had chalked out a two-pronged contingency plan in consultation with states and these would be implemented if rain is delayed beyond July 15.

“One is states have been asked to prepare for supplying seeds of the drought-resistant variety. Secondly, in case sowing operation is complete, farmers have to be supplied seeds for sowing a second time, for which we have enough stocks,” he said.

Pawar said the central government has enough stocks of seeds to meet any eventuality. “The government is monitoring the situation on a day-to-day basis. I hope the situation will improve,” he said.

Minister of State for Agriculture K V Thomas, in a written reply to the Upper House, said the ministry intended to raise allocation under the National Food Security Mission and Rashtirya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

“The ministry intends to give more flexibility to states to use these schemes to meet the contingent situation, particularly for purchase and distribution of seeds for alternative crops or varieties, and support micro-irrigation etc,” he said.