The Hindu Business Line : Oilseeds, cotton acreage increases on good rains

Other kharif crops have also reported satisfactory coverage, boosting hopes of an easing of inflationary pressures and hardening interest rates in the economy.

Higher rainfall

The current monsoon season (June-September) till July 11 has seen the country as a whole receiving an area-weighted rainfall of 310.8 mm.

This is 18.4 per cent higher than the historical ‘normal’ or long period average (LPA) of 262.6 mm for this period.

As many as 19 of 36 meteorological sub-divisions have recorded ‘excess’ precipitation (20 per cent or more above LPA), while 10 have recorded ‘normal’ (within plus or minus 80 per cent of LPA).

The areas that experienced deficient monsoon are eastern UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern MP and the North-Eastern States.

But even for these parched regions there is some hope, with the formation of a low pressure area over the north-west Bay of Bengal.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that under the influence of this area, there would be enhanced rainfall activity across eastern and adjoining central India and also the northern plains.

The overall munificent rains have resulted in higher sowing rates of cotton and oilseeds, with rice, coarse cereals and pulses lagging behind somewhat.

Marginally down

This picture could change as the monsoon spreads to the areas that have been inadequately covered so far.

The Agriculture Ministry’s Crop Weather Watch report, released on Friday, shows an area of 54.40 lakh hectares (lh) to have been planted so far under rice in the ongoing kharif season, which is marginally lower than the 54.96 lh for the corresponding period of 2006.

Coarse cereals acreage has also witnessed a dip, from 86.25 lh to 80.36 lh.

Farmers have sown 24.90 lh under bajra (26.48 lh), 17.85 lh under jowar (16.74 lh), and 33.17 lh under maize (39.14 lh).

Bt cotton

On the other hand, cotton acreage has shot up from 58.01 lh to 69.05 lh, with Bt cotton alone accounting for an estimated 24.35 lh till now.

The progressive area under kharif oilseeds, too, is up from 87.42 lh to 95.19 lh.

The latter includes 26.76 lh under groundnut (24.68 lh), 57.37 lh under soybean (50.38 lh), 5.21 lh under sesamum (5.41 lh), 3.69 lh under sunflower (4.81 lh) and 1.85 lh under castor (1.77 lh).

All indications are that the country is slated to harvest yet another record crop of cotton and soyabean.

Pulses coverage has, however, been less spectacular so far, at 40.17 lh (47.89 lh), led by arhar at 14.98 (16.24), moong at 13.41 (14.43) and urad at 8.35 (9.95).

In all, one could expect a bumper kharif, provided the monsoon holds its current course.

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