The Indian authorities is hopeful of a superb harvest of rabi crops this season (July 2023- June 2024) and is in contact with States to cut back the deficit in sowing areas of some key crops, notably wheat, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Arjun Munda has mentioned.
Talking to enterprise line, the minister mentioned: “We’ve been asking States to be sure that no sowing deficit occurs in wheat and different rabi crops and farmers get all of the requisite assist in the planting operation. I’m fairly hopeful of a superb rabi harvest this yr.”
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He mentioned the Centre has been carefully watching the scenario in all of the States, together with Karnataka the place water just isn’t obtainable for irrigation and Tamil Nadu which has been affected by Cyclone Michaung two weeks in the past and a heavy downpour in southern districts this week.
General space down
Main winter crops-producing States have already knowledgeable that there is no such thing as a concern about wheat acreage as through the ongoing season sowing in over 92 per cent of the traditional space of 307.32 lakh hectares (lh) has been accomplished as of December 15. Newest information present that wheat acreage has reached 284.15 lh in contrast with 293.01 lh a yr in the past, which is decrease by 3 per cent. Final yr, the full space underneath wheat was 343.23 lh, marginally larger than 2021.
Space sown underneath all rabi crops throughout 2023 has reached 567.04 lh till December 15, which is almost 90 per cent of the traditional space. Although it’s nonetheless down by 3 per cent from 587.33 lh through the corresponding interval of final yr, the hole has been narrowed as till December 1 the deficit was 5 per cent.
Rabi pulses acreage has reached 128.54 lh in contrast with 139.98 lh, down by 8 per cent as each lentil (masur) and gram (chana) acreage dropped. Greater sowing of mustard has helped the general oilseed sowing look comfy at 99.11 lh, up from 98.08 lh year-ago. In coarse cereals, the sowing space has reached 43.61 lh, up by lower than 1 per cent from 43.37 lh.
El Nino influence
India is without doubt one of the nations the place the agriculture sector has been impacted by the lively El Nino climate sample. In response to the Nationwide Centres for Environmental Data, a unit of the US Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, not less than 26 per cent of the nation is within the grips of drought till November-end.
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El Nino resulted within the South-West monsoon being poor with August proving to be one of many driest intervals in 120 years. As a result of heat ocean climate phenomenon, rains throughout October and November have been additionally affected.
In response to India Meteorological Division, not less than 44 per cent of the 713 districts from the place information has been obtained are rain poor. The climate sample, on account of local weather change, has resulted within the water storage scenario in 150 main reservoirs dropping under the final 10 years’ common.
A minimum of 20 per cent of the storages have ranges under 40 per cent of their capability with 11 States having water under regular. This, it’s feared, may have an effect on irrigation for rabi crops, notably in States reminiscent of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
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