Rice sowing down by 10%; government hopes to make up in coming days

NEW DELHI: Rice sowing has declined by 10 per cent to 14.4 million hectares so far this year but the shortfall in area would be covered as good rains are expected next week, Agriculture Secretary Ashish Bahuguna said today.

" Monsoon across the country is deficient by 22 per cent this week as well. The deficit rains in Punjab, Haryana, parts of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra continue," Bahuguna told reporters while briefing about kharif crops sowing scenario.

He, however, admitted that delay in sowing by more than a month could affect crop productivity.

Stating that the situation is worrisome in Karnataka and Maharashtra, he informed that the government has initiated contingency plans in these two states. The centre would wait till July-end to press for contingency plan in Saurashtra in Gujarat and Western Rajasthan.

"The area under rice, pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals is less so far. I think, the overall cropping position would improve with good rains expected after July 22," he said.

The Secretary said there is "no concern" about overall rice area and the deficit would be covered in the coming days but added that the situation of cotton is not up to the mark.

"Cotton has worsened as area under the crop is down. Cotton in Saurashtra region of Gujarat is taking a hit due to poor monsoon," he said.

As per the data released today, cotton sowing has dipped to 8.37 million hectares so far in the ongoing Kharif season from 9.24 million hectares in the year-ago period.

In foodgrains category, rice sowing has declined by 10 per cent to 14.45 million hectares from 16.1 million hectares, coarse cereals area fell to 9.54 million hectares from 12.6 million hectares in the reviewed period.

While pulses area declined to 4.01 million hectares from 5.85 million hectares, oilseeds area too fell to 10.9 million hectares from 12.1 million hectares.

Sugarcane area has improved to 5.3 million hectares so far this Kharif, from 5.07 million hectares in the year-ago period.

The area under all the monsoon-sown crops declined by 14 percent to 53.4 million hectares from a year earlier.

The country harvested a record 257.44 million tonnes of foodgrains in the 2011-12 crop year (July-June) on account of good monsoon.