For the first time in the district, sowing for kharif season has commenced in the month of June itself, thanks to the heavy pre-monsoon showers and the timely onset of monsoon.
As against the normal rainfall of 65.3 mm for June, the district has recorded actual average rainfall of 40.8 mm up to June 19. Due to good pre-monsoon rain, the farmers had kept their land in the rain-fed area ready by completing the ploughing, levelling of land and application of manure, and sowing operations were begun in earnest with the onset of monsoon.
As on June 19, around 29,439 hectares out of the total targeted area of 3.74 lakh hectares, which includes 1.54 lakh irrigated tract, has been completed, taking the sowing percentage to 8.1 per cent. Cereals have been sown in 15,958 ha out of total targeted area of 2.23 lakh ha; pulses in 1,705 ha out of 16,607 ha; oil seeds in 1,182 ha out of 87,011 ha and commercial crops in 10,594 ha out of 47,813 ha.
Sources in the agriculture department said that unlike in the past, this kharif season the sowing target of jowar was likely to be achieved due to the timely onset of monsoon. Earlier, due to delayed monsoon, the area targeted for jowar was used to cultivate other crops.
Paddy, jowar, maize, bajra, tur, cotton, groundnut, sunflower, chillies are among the major crops cultivated during the kharif season. Due to low yield and crash in prices last year, the coverage of cotton may go down this season with farmers likely to prefer cultivating maize.
