GULBARGA: The failure of rain in major parts of the State has affected sowing in the kharif season, which is coming to a closure. At the same time, land-levelling for the rabi season is yet to pick up due to the lack of moisture in the soil.

Sources told The Hindu here on Friday that as per the latest sowing details available the shortfall in achieving the targets fixed by the Agriculture Department in the beginning of the kharif season was more telling under cereals where sowing had been completed only in 26.50 lakh hectares of land as against the target of 35.50 lakh hectares of land. Last year during the same period sowing had been completed in 31.44 lakh hectares of land.

Similarly, sowing of pulses has fallen short of the target of 14.20 lakh hectares of land and so far the sowing has been completed only in 12.29 lakh hectares of land. As against the target fixed for foodgrains to be cultivated in 49.70 lakh hectares of land, so far sowing has been completed only in 39.79 lakh hectares of land. Oilseeds sowing has been completed only in 14.37 lakh hectares of land as against the target of 18 lakh hectares of land. However, farmers, who have taken up the cash crops, have exceeded the target, mainly due to the early onset of monsoon this year.

The sources said the condition of the sown crop was not good due to the lack of sufficient rainfall.

Reports received from the districts said that crops had stunted growth in Bangarpet and Chikballapur taluks in Kolar district. Crops were withering in Malur and Srinivaspur taluks in Kolar district, Chamarajnagar taluk in Chamarajnagar district, Nanjangud taluk in Mysore district. Similarly, in Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya district crops were facing moisture stress. In Harihar taluk in Davangere district, crops were reported to be drying. They had stunted growth.

Similar reports have come in from other parts of the State.

In Gulbarga district, farmers, who took up green gram and black gram in a large extent of area, had burnt their fingers due to the failure of rain. Except in a few parts of Chincholi and Yadgir, farmers in other taluks have suffered heavy loss due to the failure of the two cash crops. Even the condition of red gram, which is a bi-seasonal crop and a main stay, was not encouraging as its growth was stunted in a majority of the taluks. It lacked vegetative growth and branching due to the failure of rain and also because of moisture stress. Although farmers can expect to salvage some of the investment made on the red gram crop, the yield this time will be less when compared to that of the previous years.

Although sowing exceeded the fixed targets of horticulture crops such as potato and onion in the district, the crop was reported to be drying in Chikmagalur district due to lack of rain. As much as 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the crop was suffering from a pest attack and disease in Hassan district. Onion had suffered due to the lack of rain in Hungund, Badami and Bagalkot taluks. In Haveri, sowing of onion could not be taken up due to the failure of rain. In Chikmagalur, bulb formation in the cop is affected due to the lack of rain. In Bagalkot, 70 per cent of the tomato crop is lost due to moisture stress conditions.

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