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Deficient rains in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana seem to have hit kharif sowing this year with the total area covered coming down for the first time from the corresponding period last year.
The total sown area during the ongoing kharif season had dropped to 976.34 lakh hectares (ha) by the end of the week, against 984.57 lakh ha during the same time last year, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.
As on date, 10 out of 36 agro-meteorological subdivisions in the country are reeling under deficient rainfall as compared to six subdivisions in the same week last year.
Sowing has been seriously affected in Karnataka, with almost all major crops showing a negative trend as compared to last year. The total sown area in the State has shrunk by 27 per cent to 42.9 lakh ha as compared to 58.86 lakh ha during the corresponding period last year.
A significant reduction in acreage under cultivation has been reported from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well.
While total acreage under oilseeds decreased by 10 per cent to 157.36 lakh ha from 175.10 lakh ha in the corresponding period last year, pulses cultivation came down by 3.5 per cent to 130.68 lakh ha this week from 135.42 lakh ha during the same period last year. A similar declining trend is seen in coarse cereals, which have dropped to 171.75 lakh ha from 179.17 lakh ha.
Cotton, rice buck trendTwo crops that seemed to buck the trend were cotton and rice. While the area under cotton cultivation went up by 16 per cent to 118.14 lakh ha, the acreage under rice was marginally up at 341.58 lakh ha as compared to last year’s 340.14 lakh ha.
Meanwhile, the Central Water Commission, monitoring water storage levels in 91 reservoirs across the country, said these water bodies had a cumulative live storage of 75.70 billion cubic metres as of Thursday, significantly less than the total storage of 95.93 BCM during the same period last year.
Reservoirs in all regions barring the Northern region have less water than in the corresponding period last year.
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