DAVANGERE : Crops, including oil seeds and pulses, have withered away on over 1,58,463 hectares in Davangere district this kharif season owing to poor rainfall.

Crops were sown on over 32,60,004 hectares. Jowar, ragi, maize, pulses, groundnut, sunflower, and commercial crops have withered away.

Jowar was sown in 24,668 hectares and the crop failed in over 12,205-hectare area, similarly ragi has failed on 2,347 hectares of the total 12,106 hectares of sown area.

Maize failed on 1,23,796 hectares of the total sown area of 1,83,546 hectares. There is a 37 per cent reduction in food production.

In Jagalur and Harpanahalli taluk, groundnut crop has been completely destroyed, according to Shivamurthappa, Joint Director, Agriculture Department. He told The Hindu here on Friday that

644 mm of rainfall should have occurred by November first week but only 634 mm had been recorded. He said though there was not much difference between the expected rainfall and actual rainfall, it was not equally distributed.

In fact, rain occurred after the crop had withered. Referring to the uneven rainfall, he said in Honnali over 115 mm of rainfall occurred in a single day a few months ago and it was of little use to crop there.

Davangere district has been hit by agricultural drought this year and the Central drought study team is expected to visit Jagalur and Harpnahalli where different crop has failed.

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