Kharif crop sowing in Gujarat crosses 80L ha

Castor, groundnut and cotton acreage exceed target.

Medium to heavy rainfall in the month of August has helped farmers to speed up the sowing process. Sowing of Kharif crops this year has crossed 80-lakh hectares mark with Central and North Gujarat receiving satisfactory rains.

As on date, nearly 93 per cent sowing has been completed. Groundnut acreage has increased as compared to last year and area under cotton crop has exceeded the three year average acreage.

Backed by sufficient rainfall in the state, fresh sowing took place in approximately 4.29 lakh hectares during the period from August 11 to 17, which witnessed sowing of cotton (0.58 lakh hectares), paddy (1.08 lakh), castor (0.54 lakh), bajra (0.16 lakh), guar (0.27 lakh), moong (0.32 lakh), tur (0.08 lakh) and sesame (0.12 lakh).

 

As per the state government data, around 79.17 lakh hectares of land has been brough under Kharif crop cultivation as on 18 August 2008. However, the current acreage is lower by 7.62 lakh hectares than the total area of 86.79 lakh hectares covered under Kharif crops during the corresponding period last year.

As of now, the Kharif sowing in the state has reached to 79.19 lakh hectares as against average Kharif season sowing of 85.78 lakh hectares, which shows the completion 92.29 per cent of sowing, said government officials. Castor, tur, groundnut and cotton sowing has exceeded the targets.

As against the average of 2.61 lakh hectares, sowing of tur this year has increased to 2.72 lakh hectares. Area covered under urad has surged to 1.04 lakh hectares as compared to average sowing of 0.95 lakh hectares.

In case of groundnut, the average acreage for the past three years is 17.72 lakh hectares. However, favourable rain and weather conditions have helped groundnut sowing to exceed the target. At present, 17.90 lakh hectares have been brought under groundnut cultivation.

The progress of monsoon has remained satisfactory with the state receiving 70 per cent rainfall of the season so far. Abdasa, Bhachau, Bhuj and Lakhpat areas of Bhuj districts are the only exceptions this year as all the four talukas have seen rainfall upto 150 mm or less than that.

On the other hand, Dahod, Amreli, Porbandar, Sabarkantha, Surendranagar and Tapi districts have witnessed 50 to 60 per cent rainfall.