The Hindu : Shortfall in foodgrain production likely

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Shortfall in foodgrain production likely

By Our Special Correspondent

GULBARGA Sept. 30. The State may not achieve the target for foodgrain production this year with kharif sowing coming to an end, and a sedate beginning for rabi sowing due to the failure of the monsoon.

Official sources told The Hindu here today that sowing of foodgrains, oilseeds, and cash crops had been completed in 56.82 lakh hectares of land till September 15 against the target of 69 lakh hectares for the kharif season. It constituted 82 per cent of the target. This was against the normal coverage of 66.50 lakh hectares during the corresponding period in the past.

There would be a steep fall in the production of oilseeds this year with the coverage being only 73 per cent of the target of 17 lakh hectares, and sowing had been completed in 12.47 lakh hectares till now. The normal coverage should have been 16.28 lakh hectares. Of the target of 33.58 lakh hectares for cereals, sowing had been completed only in 28.90 lakh hectares, constituting 86 per cent of the target, the sources said.

Similarly, of the total 11.92 lakh hectares for pulses, sowing had been completed in 10.22 lakh hectares, constituting 86 per cent of the targeted area. Sowing of cash crops had been completed in 5.23 lakh hectares against the target of 6.50 lakh hectares, constituting 80 per cent of the target, they said.

The sources said sowing of foodgrains and oilseeds had been completed in rain-fed areas and, of the 69 lakh hectares targeted for the kharif season, sowing had been completed in 11.34 lakh hectares in areas that had irrigation facility, and in 45.48 lakh hectares in rain-fed areas.

Scanty rainfall after the completion of sowing led to the withering of crops. There was a shortfall in paddy sowing. Against the target of 10.75 lakh hectares, sowing had been completed only in 8.21 lakh hectares. There was a steep fall in the area covered under jowar. Against the target of 3.75 lakh hectares, sowing had been completed only in 2.27 lakh hectares.

Though farmers had crossed the target for sowing red gram and black gram, there was a shortfall in sowing of horse gram and green gram. Good rainfall in Bidar and Gulbarga districts helped farmers complete red gram and black gram sowing this year.

In Gulbarga district, the area covered under red gram was 3.14 lakh hectares against the target of 2.85 lakh hectares. The coverage was more than 100 per cent in Raichur, Uttara Kannada, and Gulbarga districts.

The coverage of sowing ranged between 91 and 100 per cent in Bangalore Urban, Shimoga, Chamarajanagar, Koppal, Bidar, Kodagu, Dakshna Kannada, Chitradurga, and Haveri districts, the sources said.

They said the coverage under horticultural crops was not encouraging.

Except for potato and tomato, which had been cultivated in 24,329 and 19,795 hectares against the target of 30,000 and 25,200 hectares, respectively, sowing of onion, and chilli was below 55 per cent. Against the target of 3.21 lakh hectares for horticultural crops, sowing had been completed only in 1.90 lakh hectares till September 16.

The condition of crops such as potato in Hassan, Dharwad, Belgaum, and Chikmagalur districts was bad, and the estimated loss due to the failure of the monsoon ranged from 20 to 95 per cent. In Dharwad district, the expected loss was nearly 95 per cent.

Onion sown in 50 per cent of the targeted area in Dharwad district had dried up, and in the remaining area, the loss was expected to be 70 per cent.

According to rough estimates, chilli sown in 40 per cent of the targeted area in Dharwad district had dried up and, in the remaining area, only 60 per cent production was expected, the sources added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Centre should rescue farmers: Sonia

Shortfall in foodgrain production likely

Murals keep alive memories of early Mysore Dasara