Lag in kharif sowing not cause for concern; will recover as planting still underway: Agri Min official
Thecurrentlaginareasowntokharifcropsespeciallyriceandpulsesisnotamajorcauseforconcernassowingisstillunderwayineasternstatesandmanyflood-hitareas,accordingtoasenioragricultureministryofficial.
TheareasowntomostkharifcropswillberecoveredassowingwindowistillSeptember15andthetotalkharifoutputwillbeasperthetarget,theofficialadded.
Sowingofkharif(summer)cropsbeginswiththeonsetofsouthwestmonsoonfromJuneandharvestingstartsfromOctoberonwards.
Theagricultureministryhassettheproductiontargetforfoodgrainsatarecord291.1milliontonnesfor2019-20cropyear(July-June),comprising147.9milliontonnesinkharif(summer)seasonand143.2milliontonnesduringrabi(winter)season.
"Sowingareaislaggingmarginallyasofnowbutthatisnotacauseforconcern.ThetansplantingofpaddywillcontinuetillSeptember15ineasternstates.Inflood-hitareasofAssamandBihar,transplantingisbeingdoneinareawherewaterhasreceded,"theofficialtoldPTI.
Asperthelatestdatareleasedbytheagricultureministry,ricehasbeensownin354.84lakhhectarestilllastweekofthekharifseasonof2019-20cropyear,lowerthan372.42lakhhectaresintheyear-agoperiod.
Areaunderpulsesisalsodownat127.99lakhhectaresasagainst131.54lakhhectaresinthesaidperiod.
Theofficialsaid,"Thesowingofminorpulsesandshortdurationpulsesisstillgoingon.Theacreagewillbemore."
Areaundermajorkharifcropswillrecoverandoveralloutputisexpectedtobeasperthetarget."Therewon'tbeanyshortfallintheoutput,"theofficialsaid.
Askedaboutkharifoutputprojectionsbeingmadebyprivateagencies,theofficialsaid,"Therearemanyprivateagencieswhichhavestartedprojectingagricultureoutputbeforecompletingofsowing.Thegovernmenthasitsownsystemandwefollowthat.Weworkintheinterestoffarmers."
Gettingsowingdatafromblocklevelisnotaneasytaskforthegovernment.Ittakestimeandsometimesthereisalagofweekortendays.Therefore,thesowingdatashouldbereadkeepingthesethingsinmind,theofficialexplained.
Accordingtothedata,oilseedshavebeensownin170.78lakhhectarestilllastweekofthekharifseasonofthisyear,against171.15lakhhectaresintheyear-agoperiod.
Coarsecerealshavebeensownin171.74lakhhectaresasagainst171.73lakhhectaresinthesaidperiod.
Sugarcanehasbeensownin52.41lakhhectarestilllastweekofthiskharifseasoncomparedwith55.47lakhhectaresayearago,whilejute/mestahasbeensownin6.84lakhhectaresagainst7.20lakhhectaresinthesaidperiod.
However,cottonhasbeensowninhigherareaat124.90lakhhectarestilllastweekofthiskharifseasonasagainst117.66lakhhectaresintheyear-agoperiod.
Totalareasownunderkharifcropisabout1,009.50lakhhectares,lowerthan1027.17lakhhectaresinthesaidperiod.
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First Published: Sep 01 2019 | 12:05 PM IST