The Hindu Business Line : Rice, oilseeds kharif coverage increases

Chennai, Aug. 29 With monsoon picking up momentum towards July-end and early this month, rice and oilseeds seem to have gained. However, pulses, cotton and sugarcane have not been able to make much from the late rains.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the area under rice has increased to 344.8 lakh hectares (lh) as on August 28 from 329.5 lh the corresponding period a year ago. The rise in acreage could see a record rice production but whether it will touch the magical figure of 100 million tonnes has to be seen.

Record soya sowing

On the other hand, thanks to a record coverage of soyabean, the kharif oilseed crops hold promise. The area under soyabean is up eight lh this year to 95.2 lh. Sowing in groundnut is a tad lower at 50.3 lh against 51.5 lh.

Sowing of kharif coarse cereals have also been affected this year. The acreage shows a decline to 193 lh from 208 lh last year. Of this, the area under maize (corn) is down to 69.5 lh (73 lh).

The area under pulses has declined to 97.8 lh (116.9 lh) mainly on monsoon being delayed in the growing areas.

Delayed rains are also seen as the reason for the area under cotton decreasing, though trade and industry players expect better yield to make up for the 1.9 lh fall in coverage. Sowing in cotton is down to 89.1 lh this year from 91 lh last year.

Low prices and pending arrears from sugar mills have combined to ensure a lower coverage of sugarcane this year. The area under the crop is showing a drop to 44 lh (53 lh).

Storage levels

Meanwhile, the storage level in the 81 major reservoirs is eight percentage points lower than last year’s level. As on August 28, the water level in these reservoirs was 95.805 billion cubic metres against the full reservoirs level (FRL) of 151.768. That means it is 63 per cent of the FRL against last year’s 71 per cent. Still, it is higher than the 10-year average of 57 per cent.

However, a close analysis of the levels shows that the coverage of monsoon has not been uniform. For example, though Gujarat is supposed to have had a normal monsoon but the storage level in almost all its reservoirs is lower than last year.

Similarly in Maharashtra, the storage level is mixed reflecting the monsoon behaviour in the State, where the southern part has witnessed deficient rainfall.

Even on a river basin-wise basis, the effect of an erratic monsoon is evident. Only the Indus, Ganga and Mahanadi basins show a storage level better than last year. On the other hand, the level is down in Tapi, Mahi, Sabarmati, River of Kutch, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery and west flowing rivers of South.

Related Stories:
Coverage of all oilseeds barring soya down
Kharif sowing lags despite monsoon revival

More Stories on : Agriculture | Cultivation | Rice | Oilseeds & Edible Oil

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