Kharif sowing rises to 76 lakh hectare

cotton

Kharif sowing in the state is pegged at 75.95 lakh hectare as on August 27, according to a data of the state director of agriculture. Farmers say the recent spell of rains has saved the day, but another spell will be soon needed to ensure that there is no damage to the crops.


According to the weekly data, the 75.95 lakh hectare of kharif sowing is about 88.68% of average seasonal sowing of 85.65 lakh hectare. The corresponding acreage in the previous week was 73.61 lakh hectare. Cotton, the main crop of the state is sown over 27 lakh hectare, or over a third of the total kharif acreage till now. It is followed by groundnut (14.67 lakh hectare), paddy (7.83 lakh hectare), maize (3.11 lakh hectare), castor (2.96 lakh hectare), bajra (1.57 lakh hectare) and soybean (1.34 lakh hectare). Fodder is sown over 8.93 lakh hectare, while vegetables over 1.93 lakh hectare.

Nikul Patel, a farmer from Arvalli district, said that recent spell of rains have provided water just when it was needed the most. "Now the situation is good but soon we will require another spell of rains to ensure good productivity. Nature has been fair to us so far. Hopefully, the government will be fair in ensuring that we get remunerative prices," said Patel.

Rains have been erratic this year. The onset of monsoon was delayed, followed by heavy rains in south Gujarat and some parts of Saurashtra. This was followed by a long break with the next spell in the second half of August, which was in the nick of time. However, many parts of north Gujarat, central Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch are still deficient in rains.

Rains in catchment areas of major rivers like Narmada and Tapi have ensured that the water level in dams is rising. An official in Narmada, Water Resources and Kalpasar Development department said that they are hopeful that water level in Sardar Sarovar dam will cross 122-metre mark in about two days.

LAND DISTRIBUTION
Cotton, the main crop of the state, is sown over 27 lakh hectare, or over a third of the total kharif acreage till now. It is followed by groundnut (14.67 lakh hectare), paddy (7.83 lakh hectare), maize (3.11 lakh hectare), castor (2.96 lakh hectare), bajra (1.57 lakh hectare) and soybean (1.34 lakh hectare). Fodder is sown over 8.93 lakh hectare, while vegetables over 1.93 lakh hectare.