Kharif paddy sowing catches up in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand

The area under rice cultivation in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand is higher than it was a year ago even as total rice cultivation decreased by 10 percent. With rains expected to continue in many states over the next two weeks, the rainfall deficit during the current monsoon may narrow. However, coverage of pulses continued to decrease due to decreases in the area under the infra (pigeon pea) and veins (black mattup).

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand reported a lack of rainfall during the latest fall season. As a result, the rice crop was affected. The area was much lower in Jharkhand, but almost on par with normal levels in UP and Bihar. Despite this, the fall rice production amounted to 110.03 million tons. For the current crop year through June 2023, the government has set a target to produce 134 metric tons of rice, including 111 metric tons in the Khareef season.

“It is encouraging to see that areas are higher in some major states, including Haryana, which is the largest grower of Basmati. West Bengal, the country’s largest rice producer in the Khareef season, is just beginning and will rebound as there is an expectation of rains,” a senior official said. Over the next two weeks in the east and north-east There is no concern about Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana because many areas are irrigated through wells, the official added.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture showed that the area of ​​rice across the country reached 103.22 thousand hectares as of July 14, compared to 114.42 hectares a year earlier. In the past five seasons, the average has been 399.45 liters.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said heavy rains with heavy to very heavy rains are likely to continue over Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for the next five days. Also, isolated heavy rains were forecast over Himachal Pradesh and eastern Rajasthan.

IMD said fairly widespread rainfall with isolated torrential rains is very likely over coastal Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala over the next five days.

lower storage level

Central Water Commission data showed that the storage level in the country’s 146 major reservoirs was 33 percent of the total live storage capacity of 178.185 bcm as of July 13. This was six percentage points lower than in the same period. A year ago, but higher than usual.

According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture, the total area sown with Kharif crops amounted to 536.1 liters as of July 14, compared to 560.1 liters in the same period last year, official data showed on the NFSM portal of the Ministry of Agriculture. Coverage is nearly half the regular season’s 1,091.73 liters.

The combined area of ​​all pulses was reported at 56.67 litres, and the area of ​​oilseeds decreased by 10 percent at 113.751 litres. However, the sowing area under the feeder and coarse grains is 16 per cent higher at 104.99 liters due to the higher sowing of bagra. The cane volume is slightly higher than it was a year ago at 55.81 litres.

Lumbar traces

Among the legumes, tor was sown at 14.11 lh until July 14 (versus 24.55 lh a year earlier), moong (green gram) 21.23 lh (20.06 lh) and urad at 13.42 lh (15.8 lh). In the oilseeds category, sowing of peanuts was reported to be on 28.72 L (28.33 L) and soybean on 79.71 L (93.61 L). In coarse grains, the area of ​​maize was 43.84 liters (46.45 liters), begra 50.09 liters (34.36 liters), and maize 8.64 liters (6.82 liters).

Cotton acreage, which initially appeared higher, decreased by 5 per cent to 95.3 liters from 100.36 liters due to lower cultivation in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana. But, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh reported a larger area. Jute and Mista recorded an 8 percent decrease at 6.35 litres.