Rabi crop area up

Farmers in Gujarat have completed cultivation of various crops in 32 lakh hectares this rabi. Of all the crops, wheat saw the maximum increase in the cultivation area. Last year, the rabi crop area was just 27.24 lakh hectares.

According to the agriculture department figures, this is a 12-lakh hectare increase, compared with the years when the state registered maximum rainfall.

Gujarat registered heavy rainfall during last year. The state's agriculture department has attributed this increase to the checkdams and water conservation efforts being carried out by the Gujarat government and other volunteer farmers.

The crop area under wheat cultivation saw an increase of around 4 lakh hectares, cumin seeds registered an increase of 1.5 lakh hectares while castor seeds area was up one lakh hectares.

The figures of other years when maximum rainfall was registered in the state clearly indicate a growth in the acreage of rabi crops during this year. The state registered 1,503.30 mm rainfall in 1994-95 and the rabi cultivation area was only 17.52 lakh hectares.

Similarly in 1983-84 and in 1997-98, the state received 1,263 mm and 1,100 mm rainfall respectively and the rabi cultivation area was 17 and 19 lakh hectares respectively.

In comparison, this year (2006-07) the state received 1,290 mm rainfall while the crop area increased to 32 lakh hectares.

Dry regions like north Gujarat, Saurashtra and other regions like north central Gujarat registered an increase in cultivation area.

Saurashtra received 1,111 mm rainfall in 1983-84 and had rabi cultivation on only 6.07 lakh hectares. While this year, the Saurashtra region has cultivated rabi crops on 10.20 lakh hectares with decreased rainfall of 887 mm.