The Hindu Business Line : Area under most kharif crops still lags behind

Chennai, Aug 8 Kharif crop prospects seem to be a little gloomy with acreage under most crops still lagging behind compared with the progress made during the corresponding period last year. It could also mean that the Centre will be stretched a little more to rein in soaring inflation. The annual wholesale price index-based inflation rate topped 12 per cent this week.

With monsoon reviving this week, there are chances of the coverage improving but experts feel the yield could be affected. Oilseeds, pulses and cotton, in particular, could gain.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, soyabean and paddy are among the crops whose acreage has shown improvement. Area under paddy has increased to 251.1 lakh hectares (lh) against 234.6 lh during the same period a year ago. Coverage of soyabean has gone up to 91.3 lh from 83.3 lh last year.

Pulses acreage drop

However, the worrisome factor is the decline in the area under pulses. The area under crops such as tur, arhar, urad and gram is trailing behind at 78.4 lh. During the same time a year ago, 93.2 lh were covered under these crops.

Coarse cereals and oilseeds could also turn out to be other sources of worry. Among coarse cereals, maize acreage in particular is showing a drop to 61.7 lh from 68.7 lh last year. The drop in the coverage is surprising given the fact that maize prices are ruling firm around Rs 1,000 a quintal despite estimates of a record 19.45 million tonnes production.

Also, maize being a crop that needs less water, experts feel growers could have shifted to more remunerative crops such as soyabean. Overall, sowing in coarse cereals, including bajra and jowar, is trailing at 164.4 lh against 187.9 lh.

Weather Woes

The delay in monsoon has in a way affected cotton, another crop that has been witnessing record output and prices during the last two year. Area under cotton is showing a dip at 81 lh against 90 lh last year. This week’s rain may perhaps revive the interest in cotton and in the coming weeks, it probably could catch up with the normal acreage or even exceed. However, this could mean that the third picking could extend beyond March next and in turn, affect the yield.

Cane sowing hit

Sugarcane sowing has been hit by mounting arrears and poor prices in the open market during the last one and half years. The area under sugarcane has slipped to 44 lh from 53 lh last year.

Oilseeds coverage is a tad lower at 155.7 lh against 155.8 lh last year but with the country’s western parts receiving good rains in the last couple of weeks, there is a possibility of improvement in sowing.

Gujarat, in particular, could witness some improvement in groundnut sowing, which is current down at 45.5 lh against 47.2 lh last year.

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