The South-West monsoon hit Gujarat on Wednesday with several parts of the State receiving showers.

Sowing activity has already started with over 2,74,000 hectares covered till June 20 as against 13,44,900 hectares during the same period last year.

Cotton acreage Among the major crops sown in the kharif season (July to September) include cotton, groundnut and tur, besides others.

So far, cotton has been sown on 175,500 hectares against 762,900 hectares reported last year. The groundnut area stood at 38,400 ha (370,900 ha).

Sluggish start With the delayed onset of the monsoon, overall sowing started on a sluggish note.

Normally the monsoon hits the State around June 15.

According to farmer sources, among pulses, tur provided good returns as compared to other crops.

So far, acreage of tur stands at around 15,200 ha against 19,200 ha last year.

Groundnut gains “There won’t be much impact on sowing due to the delayed monsoon. But farmers are more likely to take up groundnut,” said a farmer from Rajkot district.

State Agriculture Department data revealed that sowing was sluggish in grains and oilseeds, with 0.44 per cent and 1.66 per cent of the normal sowing area being covered, respectively.

The State has received total rainfall of 7.27 mm as of June 23. Out of the 248 taluks, 140 have received rains.

Storage levels The water storage conditions at state reservoirs had almost bottomed out. As on June 22, the State reservoirs were left with average live storage of 8.79 per cent.

The most vulnerable condition was seen at Saurashtra, where the average live storage stood at 3.44 per cent of the gross storage capacity.

However, with rains hitting the State this week, the State’s water levels are set to improve.

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