Kharif sown area increases but sowing pace decreases

NEW DELHI: The sown area under Kharif crop in the country keeps on increasing but the overall area under summer crop may not be much higher than it was in 2014 -the year which saw a 12% deficit rainfall and over 5% deficit in overall foodgrain production.

The narrowing gap between total area sown this year as compared to the corresponding period last year is a cause of worry as the India Meteorological Department ( IMD) on Monday forecast an all India rainfall deficit of 16% for August and September.

Since sowing is on in different parts of the country, the possibility of weak rainfall may further slow down the pace. Figures of kharif sown area, released by the agriculture ministry every Friday, show that the total sown area, so far this year, continues to be more than the corresponding period of 2014, but the gap has been narrowing consistently since July 17.

Though the difference in sown area depends on spatial distribution as well as amount of rainfall during a particular period, the trend may bring down the total sown area closer to the level of 2014 as the pace of sowing slows. Figures show that the gap between this year and last year's sown area was 217 lakh hectares on July 17.

But it came down to 143 lakh hectares on July 24 61 lakh hectares on July 31 and further slipped to 39 lakh hectares as on August 7. If the trend continues, the government will have to keep its contingency plan ready for the winter (rabi crop so that deficit monsoon does not affect the overall output during the 2015-16 crop year.

Referring to the IMD's latest prediction in the context of the Kharif crop eminent agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan had on August 4 tweeted his suggestions. “Fortunately our farmers have sown in large areas more high-val ue and less water-requirng crops like pulses and oilseeds," he said.