The Hindu : Front Page : Kharif production down by 40 p.c.

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Tuesday, Nov 07, 2006
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Kharif production down by 40 p.c.

Special Correspondent

This is on account of drought in 120 taluks in the State

BANGALORE: The Government has estimated that foodgrain production for the kharif season this year has dropped by 40 per cent on account of drought in 120 taluks in the State.

Minister for Agriculture Bandeppa Kashempur told presspersons here on Monday that agricultural operations during the kharif season were affected by erratic rainfall, and production of foodgrains and oilseeds had dropped by 40 per cent, particularly in districts in north Karnataka.

During the kharif season, the Agriculture Department had planned to reach a production target of 86 lakh tonnes of cereals and pulses on 66 lakh hectares of land. The drop in production had been mostly in the cases of jowar, ragi, maize, wheat and groundnut. Taluk- and district-level officials of the department were estimating the loss, he said.

However, sowing of rabi crops such as jowar, wheat, Bengal gram, sunflower, safflower, linseed and cotton was in progress in most of the districts of north Karnataka, Mr. Kashempur said.

Crops were sown in 13.05 lakh hectares of land as against the target of 34.32 lakh hectares. The sowing status was normal in 12 districts and below normal in 17 districts, he said.

The maize crop was affected in Bellary district owing to supply of inferior quality seeds by the Monsanto company, Mr. Kashempur alleged. The officials of the department had conducted a field study and sent seed samples for laboratory tests. The company would be blacklisted if it was found to have supplied inferior quality seeds, he said.

The department had decided to direct agencies to sell only those brands of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides approved by the Agriculture Department.

Mr. Kashempur said only agro-based industries would be allowed to acquire such farmland for Special Economic Zones.

The Minister said that he had been invited for a workshop in New Delhi on November 18 and 19 on agriculture and animal husbandry.

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