Rain, pests may hit Kharif crop in Gujarat, Maharashtra

PUNE: Production of key kharif crops such as cotton and oilseeds, along with the perennial sugarcane crop, is expected to decline in Maharashtra and Gujarat due to erratic rainfall and pest attacks.

The Gujarat government reduced the production and yield of kharif crops in its first advance estimate for 2018-19.

Although the area under cotton cultivation in Gujarat increased to 27.09 lakh hectares in 2018-19 from 26.24 lakh hectares in the previous year, the state pegged production at 88.28 lakh bales of 170 kg each, down from 101.87 lakh bales in the previous year. Cotton yield is expected to decline by 16% to 554 kg of lint in the current year from 660 kg. It anticipates a 22% decline in groundnut yield to 1,836 kg per hectare from 2,360 kg per hectare.


Large parts of the cotton-growing region are waiting for one good spell of rainfall, which was absent during most of September.

“If the areas do not get rainfall in next 8-10 days, there could be major decline in yields. However, if we get a good spell, there wouldn’t be adverse impact,” said Vinay Kotak, director of Kotak Commodities.