Heavy rain hits Gujarat kharif crop

Heavy and incessant rainfall over the past few days, which triggered flooding and water logging in parts of Gujarat, has hit early-sown kharif crops such as cotton and groundnut.

Initial estimates by agriculture experts and government officials indicate that kharif crop losses have occurred on about 50,000 hectares, mainly in Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat, including the cotton-growing areas of Rajkot, Surendranagar, Morbi, Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Kutch, Patan, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha.

Kharif sowing had taken place on about 60.62 lakh hectares till July 17, accounting for about 71 per cent of the three-year average sowing of 85.76 lakh hectares. The affected districts had cotton acreages of over 20 lakh hectares, followed by groundnut area of about 14 lakh hectares.

Damage assessment State agriculture Minister Chimanbhai Sapariya told Businessline that a survey is being conducted to assess the damage to the fields and the crop.

“The State received heavy rainfall in multiple spells during the past few weeks. The assessment of the damage caused during the early-month rains was underway and we started receiving another round of heavy rainfall on a much larger area. Currently, the fields are water-logged and the roads are damaged too. We will resume the assessment once the water recedes,” said Sapariya.

He added that all required assistance, including financial support, would be provided to the farmers after the due assessment.

Till July 24, the State has received 61 per cent of the season's rainfall with 491.54 mm against the average of 810 mm. According to the State’s water supply department, out of the 203 reservoirs in the state, 30 have been put under high alert with 100 per cent filling, while 11 dams show over 90 per cent filling. The administration has issued an alert for 12 dams.

The small and marginal farmers will be provided financial assistance under the Calamity Relief Fund, while bigger farmers will be given assistance based on the assessment of the damage. Massive damage is reported in cotton and sesamum, which cannot withstand water-logged fields for more than 3-4 days.

Farmer sources revealed that the cotton crop was at its early stage of plant growth. “Damage to a plant at this stage would ruin the prospects of further growth. Water-logging is spoiling the plants. There are also instances of land erosion in several parts. This is going to put excessive burden on farmers,” said Ramesh Bhoraniya, a farmer from Rajkot. Agriculture officers confirmed that fields have been submerged in the floodwaters in several parts of the districts of Rajkot, Surendranagar, Morbi, Jamnagar, besides North Gujarat. “District Development Officers are leading the assessment of damage. We expect the entire process to get over in a week's time after the water level recedes,” said an official with the Agriculture Department.

The fallout The damage to the cotton crop will have a larger impact on the overall cotton sowing, which will switch to short-duration crops such as tur or other pulses.

“Farmers are already staring at a loss due to lower realisation last year. This year due to heavy rains, the cost incurred on seeds and sowing is wasted. Farmers will not again take a further risk with cotton sowing,” said Bhoraniya.

The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the region till July 27.

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