Sufficient rains needed this week to save kharif crops: ICAR

Says good spell of rain is also necessary for completion of the remaining 70% of sowing of kharif crops

Sufficient rains are required this week to save pulses, oilseeds and cotton crops in rain-fed areas of central and southern India, according to agri-research body ICAR.

A good spell of rain is also necessary for completion of the remaining 70 per cent of sowing of kharif crops in many parts of the country, it said.

In June, monsoon rains were 13 per cent more than the normal. However, the Met Department has projected deficient rains for July and August.

"There is dry weather since June-end. Adequate rains are required this week to protect crops that were sown in last 10 -15 days," Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) Deputy Director General (Crops) J S Sandhu told PTI.

Crops such as soyabean, pulses and cotton in central and southern India are heavily dependent on rains. Total area sown under these crops has also risen sharply so far in the current kharif season, he said.

As per the government data, pulses were sown in 22.61 lakh hectare till July 3 of the kharif season, as against 9.72 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

Oilseeds were sown in 74.17 lakh hectare as against 14.73 lakh hectare in the previous year, while cotton was planted in 60.16 lakh hectare as against 35.42 lakh hectare in the said period.

"Any long stretch of dry weather conditions in this region could affect these crops, though contingency plans are put in place to help farmers," Sandhu said.

So far, only 30 per cent of the normal area has been sown under kharif crops and good rains are required to complete the rest of the sowing this month, he added.

Sowing of kharif (summer) crops begins with the onset of southwest monsoon in June.