The area under cash crops such as soyabean and cotton has seen a surge in Maharashtra. Simultaneously, the area under food crops is down 14 per cent compared to the average area of such crops.

Experts are alarmed by this development as they fear that the falling food crop acreage will further fuel food inflation.

Cash crops are most sought after by farmers.

This year farmers have chosen to plant soyabean because they received the highest rate of Rs 4,500 a quintal (100 kg) for their produce last year.

Currently, the area under the oilseed has risen 38 per cent to about 38.72 lakh hectares (lh) compared to an average of 27.99 lh earlier. The area under cotton crop has increased by 14 per cent to 38.46 lh.

Agriculture Commissioner of Maharashtra Umakant Dangat told Business Line that the area under cash crops is increasing in the State. Farmers are following market trends and therefore they cannot be persuaded to grow food crops, he said.

Among the food crops the worst one to suffer is jowar, which is a major stable food across the State.

This year farmers have merely sowed about 6.12 lh of jowar, which is a 46 per cent decline, over the average area of 11.44 lh.

Even bajra has declined by 30 per cent to 7.8 lh from 11.33 lh.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat-based Anand Agricultural University M.C. Varshneya said that the decline in food crops a very alarming situation. The acreage of these crops is declining but the prices are shooting up continuously. Additional area under cash crops is providing more money in the hands of the farmers. But the people from the middle class are suffering as the prices of food grains have increased considerably, he said.

“Jowar grains, which were available at Rs 15/kg until recently, have now shot up to Rs 35. The middle class are forced to buy from the market as they cannot even access cheap grains from the public distribution system,” Varshneya said.

> rahul.wadke@thehindu.co.in

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