The Economic Survey has said that during 2017-18 the agriculture and allied sector is expected to register negative growth of (-) 8.3% owing to less rains (84.3% of normal rains) compared to last year.
The report has forecast a fall in production in kharif and rabbi crops, except maize and sugarcane. Cotton and tur production are likely witness a fall of 44% and 53% respectively.
There was slight increase in the area under Kharif crops over the previous year as sowing was carried out on 150.45 lakh hectares. The area under cereals, pulses, oilseeds and cotton has decreased by 3%, 1% and 0.1% respectively while area under sugarcane crop increased by 43% over the previous year. The production of cereals, pulses, oilseeds and cotton is expected to decrease by 4%, 46%, 15% and 44% respectively while the production of sugarcane crop is expected to increase by 25%.
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Area under rabi crops as on January 5, 2018 is 31% lower (46.88 lakh hectares) than the previous year. The area under cereals, pulses and oilseeds has decreased by 42%, 6% and 60% respectively. The production of cereals, pulses and oilseeds is expected to decrease by 39%, 4% and 73% respectively.
Finance Minister Sudhir Munguntiwar said, “The State received only 84.3% of normal rainfall last year. This is one of the reasons why the State is seeing a drop in crop production. Our government’s efforts have actually helped farmers sustain themselves during the crisis.”
While the sector faces negative growth, the State government has not given the percentage of gross irrigated area to gross cropped area. In 2010, the Bharatiya Janata Party accused the then Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government of increasing only 0.1% of the land under irrigation despite spending ₹70,000 crore since 2001. It turned out to be the beginning of allegations of a irrigation scam being levelled against the government.
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Since then, no Economic Survey has carried the percentage, including those presented during the BJP-Sena government. Mr. Munguntiwar said that the numbers could not be published because of ongoing court cases. The Opposition ridiculed the claim saying the court has not passed any order prohibiting the government from publishing the numbers.