The Hindu Business Line : Coverage of most rabi crops still down

Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Saturday, Dec 25, 2004

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Agri-Biz & Commodities - Cultivation

Coverage of most rabi crops still down

Our Bureau

Chennai , Dec. 24

COVERAGE of most rabi crops, barring oilseeds, is witnessing a downtrend this year.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, sowing of wheat has been completed in 186.39 lakh hectares (lh), down from 204.29 lh last year.

The decline in coverage is mainly due to sowing being affected in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

Non-availability of water and diversion to crops such as oilseeds are seen as major reasons for the fall, according to experts.

Area under rice, which is not a major crop in rabi, has dipped to 6.85 lh from 7.37 lh during the corresponding period of last year.

Among coarse cereals, coverage of barley, which initially showed an uptrend, has dipped to 6.34 lh from 6.41 lh during the same period a year ago.

However, area under jowar has increased to 50.18 lh (50 lh), while in the case of maize it is up at 5.70 lh (5.55 lh).

Sowing in gram is showing a decline with coverage being 62.43 lh (65.90 lh), while area under other pulses has been put at 43.85 lh (46.56 lh).

Oilseeds are showing signs of encouragement.

According to industry sources, the trend is a fallout of the Government's policy to hike the minimum support price of oilseeds this year.

Coverage of rapeseed/mustard has exceeded the normal area of 53 lh and till December 20, 65.31 lh was covered against 56.79 lh last year. Area under groundnut is up at 4.15 lh (4.03 lh), while coverage of safflower has increased to 3.67 lh (3.40 lh).

Sowing of sunflower has been completed in 11.37 lh, which is a tad lower from 11.91 lh during the same period last year.

Similarly, area under sesame and linseed is also witnessing a decline.

Though the water storage level is six per cent higher than last year, a mixed trend is being witnessed as far as ground water level is concerned.In Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, the ground water level has fallen by over two metres.