No COVID-19 impact on progress of area coverage under kharif crops, 20 % more than last year as on July 17

Despite COVID-19 fear, Kharif sowing had no impact, registered 21.2%  more sowing: Data from the Agriculture Ministry.

BY Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The Statesman, vijaythakurx@gmail.com

Sowing of Kharif crops which is in progress appears to have no impact of COVID 19, rather the sowing areas coverage has increased by 21.2%r-- which indicates early sowing in hope of good Monsoon prediction.

Agriculture Ministry on its parts has claimed that it has taken several measures to facilitate the farmers and farming activities at field level during the pandemic.

According to the Ministry, Kharif sowing so far has covered 691.86 Lakh hectares as against the sowing of nearly 570.86 lakh hectares last year. Which means this year is it additional sowing of 121 lakh hectares--apparently because of good Moonson forecast made by the IMD.

Not only the sowing progress, even the water storage in the country’s 123 major reservoirs are very encouraging—almost  150% more then the corresponding period of last year and 133 % of the storage of average last ten years, said a senior officer of the Agriculture Ministry. He said average rainfall till July 16 is 338.3 mm against the normal rainfall of 308.4 mm—a departure of nearly 10 %, the officer pointed out.

What is encouraging is that while rice sown area is increased by 18.50 %, sowing of pulses has increased by 32.35 %, oilseeds by 40.75 %, cotton by 17.28 %. The officer said adding that there was no impact of COVID-19 on the progress of area coverage under Kharif crops.

Sowing Area Coverage of Summer Crops:

• ·        Rice on 168.47 lakh ha against 142.06 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 18.59%,

  ·        Pulses on 81.66 lakh ha against 61.70 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 32.35%,

  ·        Coverage of Coarse Cereals reported on 115.60 lakh ha area against 103.00 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 12.23%,

  ·        Oilseeds 154.95 lakh ha area against 110.09 lakh ha area last year i.e. area coverage increased by 40.75 %,

  ·        Sugarcane on 51.29 lakh ha area against 50.82 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 0.92%

  ·        Under the Cotton, area coverage reported on 113.01 lakh ha area against 96.35 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 17.28 % and

  ·        In case of Jute & Mesta, on 6.88 lakh ha area against 6.84 lakh ha area last year  i.e. increase in area coverage by 0.70% reported in the country.

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• Vijay Thakur, Special Representative, The statesman