Excess monsoon rains in Maharashtra helps Rabi sowing area

The excess Monsoon rains and abundant water availability in Maharashtra have helped the Rabi sowing area to reach 25 lakh hectares, which is double of last year. The planting season would be on for another 30 days. Sowing of wheat, gram and corn have picked up a rapid pace in the ongoing planting season. The acreage of crops such as sorghum and sunflower has also increased.

During 2019-20, the area under Rabi crops was 52 lakh hectares which was 5.6 per cent more as compared to 2018-19. The area under pulses also increase but the area under cereals and oilseeds dipped. Senior Maharashtra Government officials said that by this week, the sowing of gram has reached 10 lakh hectares. Last season, farmers had sown only 3.5 lakh hectares.

‘No major worm infestation’

In 2019 Rabi season only 61,000 hectares of wheat was sown, today the same crop has reached 1.60 lakh hectares. Other than cotton none of the crops are having any major worm infestation or fungal attacks, the officials said. The officials said that the extended monsoon rains, which continued till October, delayed the sowing but the once the rains stopped sowing was again taken up vigorously.

Due to copious rains, there is more than adequate subsoil moisture, which will also help the crops, which would be planted later in the season. Unlike the Kharif season, which coincided with the COVID pandemic and lockdown, affecting the availability of labour and agri inputs. The Rabi has fared much better with all the sectors of the economy being open, the official added.

In early September, State Agriculture Minister, Dada Bhuse after chairing a review meeting for Rabi had said that rain this year has been good and estimate area is likely to increase from 52 lakh hectares to 60 lakh hectares. For the season 9.14 lakh quintal (100 kg) seeds would be required but the state government has made provision for 9.25 lakh quintal of seeds, the Minister had said.