Karnataka kharif coverage area down 7%

Karnataka's kharif coverage is down 6.89 per cent, at 68.88 lakh hectare, as against the 73.98 lakh hectare covered last year. For the year 2011-12, the state has fixed a target of 74.65 lakh hectare.

The State agriculture department officials attribute the decline in kharif crop area to deficient rainfall in a few key pulses growing areas. On the whole, as on September 26, sowing status was ‘above normal' in 10 districts, and ‘normal' in 20 districts.

The total area under cereals is down by 3.21 per cent, at 34.64 lakh hectare as against 35.79 lakh hectare in the same period last year.

Rice area coverage is 10.70 lakh hectare ( 11.03 lakh hectare ), jowar 1.80 lakh hectare (2.03 lakh hectare), ragi 6.77 lakh hectare (7.67 lakh hectare), maize 12.37 lakh hectare (11.67 lakh hectare), bajra 2.73 lakh hectare (3.11 lakh hectare) and minor millets 0.27 lakh hectare (0.28 lakh hectare).

On the pulses front, actual coverage is severely down by 20.75 per cent at 13.25 lakh hectare as compared to 16.72 lakh hectare in the same period last year.

Tur dal actual area coverage is 7.53 lakh hectare (last year's coverage 8.83 lakh hectare), horse gram 0.60 lakh hectare (1.06 lakh hectare), black gram 0.86 lakh hectare (1.19 lakh hectare), green gram 2.73 lakh hectare (3.82 lakh hectare ), cowpea and others 0.78 lakh hectare (0.89 lakh hectare) and avare 0.69 lakh hectare (0.83 lakh hectare).

The coverage of oilseeds is down by 9.91 per cent at 10.54 lakh hectare as against 11.70 lakh hectare covered last year.

Groundnut is at 5.18 lakh hectare (6.68 lakh hectare), Sesamum 0.62 lakh hectare (0.86 lakh hectare), Sunflower 2.15 lakh hectare (1.83 lakh hectare), Castor 0.18 lakh hectare (0.22 lakh hectare), Niger 0.19 lakh hectare (0.23 lakh hectare), Mustard 0.06 lakh hectare (0.05 lakh hectare) and Soyabean 2.17 lakh hectare (1.81 lakh hectare).

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