The Department of Agriculture has planned sowing in 42.78 lakh hectares, 3.25 lakh hectares more than the season’s normal of 39.53 lakh hectares during kharif-2018. With water being released to both the Krishna and Godavari deltas, sowing has picked up pace.
Difficult situation
The targets for sowing have been increased when compared to the last two years, however the normal area sown in the season has been reduced. While the normal area in kharif 2016 was 40.96 lakh hectares, it was reduced to 40.47 lakh hectares in kharif 2017 and to 39.53 lakh hectares for the current season, as per the new plan.
The normal area sown has been reduced because of the shortfall in sowing — 6% in kharif 2016 and 11 % in kharif 2017. The area of sowing had come down because of deficit rainfall and poor inflows into the reservoirs on the Krishna River, according to department officials. The drop in the normal sowing area would have been worse but for the good water management by the State government, officials said.
The normal area of paddy sowing has also been reduced in the kharif plan this season.
The normal area under paddy has been reduced from 16.03 lakh hectares in kharif 2016 to 15.50 lakh hectares in kharif 2018.
The target sowing area for paddy has been however kept high. There is just 1,000 hectares difference in the targets of kharif 2018 and 2017. While the target sowing area for jowar and bajra has been reduced, the area of sowing for maize has been increased.
The normal area for sowing of coarse grains (paddy, jowar, bajra, maize , ragi and minor millets) has been reduced by 3,000 hectares, but the target area has been increased by 17,000 hectares.
The normal sowing area for pulses has been reduced by 1.03 lakh hectares. However, the target area for them has also been reduced by 10,000 hectares. The normal area and target for oilseeds have been reduced this kharif when compared to the previous one.
