Karnataka faces drought-like situation as rains play hide & seek
The abrupt end of pre-monsoon showers has led to a slowdown in sowing in Karnataka. While acreage under cash crops registered a marginal rise, that in cereals, pulses and oilseeds continue to be woefully short of the normal coverage areas.
By Arun Iyer, ET Bureau |
BANGALORE: The abrupt end of pre-monsoon showers has led to a slowdown in sowing in Karnataka. While acreage under cash crops registered a marginal rise, that in cereals, pulses and oilseeds continue to be woefully short of the normal coverage areas.
During the week July 2-8, Karnataka only received 21 mm of rainfall against a normal rainfall of 62 mm, indicating a deficiency of 66%. This is the second time in the last six years that the state has seen such a deficit rainfall in the first week of July. The highest deficit in the first week of July was in 2002 when it was 82%. Poor rainfall and a dismal weather are likely spoil kharif sowing in the state.
Against a normal coverage of 7.4 lakh hectares for oilseeds, the coverage (till July 7, 2008) was about 50%. The only bright spot in oilseeds is soyabean where planting at 1.5 lakh hectares is above the average of 1.3 lakh hectares. There is major shortfall in groundnut with 0.8 lakh hectares (normal coverage of 2.3 lakh hectares), sunflower at 0.9 lakh hectares (2.9 lakh hectares) and sesame at 0.4 lakh hectares (0.7 lakh hectares).
Similar instances of fall in sowings is also seen in case of pulses. In tur dal, for instance, against the normal coverage of 2.2 lakh hectares, sowing has happened in only 0.8 lakh hectares.
���The monsoons are playing truant. Areas close to the Western Ghats have received some rains early on but the hinterland is bone-dry. We are extremely worried,��� said K Chandrashekhar, a farmer leader.
The only saving grace is cash crops where acreage, particularly sugarcane, has risen. Against a normal coverage of 1.9 lakh hectares, actual sowing had taken place in 2.3 lakh hectares. The sense of helplessness among farmers comes at a time when the government in neighbouring Maharashtra has already declared a ���drought like��� situation thanks to deficient rains.
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