The Hindu : Decline likely in kharif rice

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 26, 2003

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National

Decline likely in kharif rice

By Gargi Parsai

New Delhi Oct. 25. There is likely to be a shortfall in kharif rice output due to lower sowing in south India. Rice cultivation is estimated to be about 1.5 million hectares less than normal due to lower area coverage. Although sowing of kharif rice continues in parts of the peninsula, the area under coverage will be affected, Agriculture Ministry sources said here.

However, the overall kharif rice production is estimated to be 75.05 million tonnes, marginally lower than the normal production of 76.7 million tonnes due to `satisfactory' kharif rice production in northern India. This is getting reflected in the market arrivals and procurement.

The northeast monsoon rain commenced over Tamil Nadu and other States on October 19. A meeting of the Crop and Weather Watch Group in the Agriculture Ministry here on Friday said the delayed withdrawal of southwest monsoon and the subsequent moderate temperature in north would provide congenial conditions for the coming rabi crops. The all India weighted rainfall for the week ending October 15 was 4 per cent above normal (actual 19.3 mm, normal 18.6 mm).

Rabi sowing begins with sowing of oilseeds, particularly rapeseed and mustard, in the northern regions of the country. The normal area under rabi oilseeds in the country is 79 lakh hectares while rapeseed and mustard accounts for 52 lakh hectares of normal area.

The area reported under rabi oilseeds this year so far is about 11 lakh hectares, which is ahead by about six lakh hectares compared to last year's coverage in the corresponding period.

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