The Hindu : National : Post-monsoon showers feed rabi hopes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 06, 2004

National

National

Post-monsoon showers feed rabi hopes

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT.5. Last week's widespread rainfall has damaged the standing paddy crop in parts of north India but is expected to improve the rabi crop harvest significantly, a meeting of the Crop Weather Watch Group in the Ministry of Agriculture has noted. Besides adding copious moisture to the soil, the post-monsoon showers have reduced the temperature and this would help the growth of the rabi crop.

Recently, the Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, announced a target of 235 lakh tonnes of foodgrain output next year. Rabi would make good the shortfall in kharif output on account of the delayed rains and later floods in parts of the country.

According to the India Meteorological Department, rains have occurred all over the country except in central India. The rainfall has been particularly good in the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

Below normal

Rainfall in the monsoon season ending September 30 was below normal by 13 per cent, with 13 out of 36 Meteorological sub-divisions receiving deficient rains. The Weather Watch Group, which met under the chairmanship of the Additional Secretary, Agriculture, R.S. Pandey, to take stock of the crop prospects, input supply position and weather conditions, was informed that despite the drop in the output of kharif paddy and cotton crops, this year has been ``satisfactory'' in irrigated areas such as Punjab.

The group was also informed that reservoirs throughout the country were full by more than 80 per cent of the average except in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

The total live storage in 71 important reservoirs in different parts of the country was 84.58 billion cubic metres (bcm) on October 1. This was 6.82 bcm more than last year's position on October 1, and 10.09 bcm less than the average of the last 10 years' storage.

While appreciating that adequate quantity of seed and fertilizers were available for the rabi season, the group decided that fertilizer availability would be monitored in the coming months to avoid localised shortages.

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

National