54% of sowing complete in Pune district

PUNE Pune district, which has not received sufficient rainfall in July so far, have seen completion of 54% of sowing activity

PUNE Pune district, which has not received sufficient rainfall in July so far, have seen completion of 54% of sowing activity. Last year, by July 15, 70 per cent of the sowing was completed.

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Last year, by July 15 sowing on 177,000 hectares was completed. This year, only 99,356 hectares have been sown.

“The sowing of rice has been impacted on a large scale in Khed, Junnar, Ambegaon, Mulshi, Bhor, and Velhe. Those who have an irrigation facility are managing to water the crops, while other crops are getting damaged,” said Dnyaneshwar Bote, district agriculture officer.

Of a total of 61,000 hectares of farm land to be sown for rice, only 6,000 hectares have been sown so far.

“Only 15-20 % of rice sowing is complete in the district,” said Bote.

According to Pune district agriculture department, after 71 mm of rain between June 17 and June 21, more rain was last week, but in the last nine days, the district has received only 23mm of rain.

Farmers had increased sowing activity, expecting more rain.

“We were expecting more rains in the last week of June and first week of July. It has not happened so far. Most of the rice crops have got damaged,” said Ulhas Uike, a farmer.

“If rainfall remains subdued then it may affect the Kharif crop this time,” said Bote.