With monsoon gaining momentum, sowing activity in the state has reached its peak in the past few days. Farmers are now busy sowing Kharif crops and with a positive outlook on yield.
Against the target of 157.83 lakh hectares, sowing had been done on 129.47 lakh hectares or 82%, according to an agriculture department official. With more rain in the last two weeks, sowing has almost doubled, the official said.
The sowing coverage as on July 9 was 45.9%, 55% on July 13, 62.2% on July 16, 74.2% on July 21, 76.7% on July 23 and 82% on July 27. With good rains sweeping the state, sowing of a few crops has even gone beyond set targets - as opposed to a target of 10 lakh hectares, soybean has been sown on 10.66 lakh hectare, 6.6% more than the target. Urad has been sown in 2.10 lakh hectares, which is 4.9% over its target of 2 lakh hectares, the official informed.
Sowing this year is expected to breach the 100% target with rains likely continue in the state. Despite an early setback with a delay in monsoon, farmers now expect good yield during the Kharif season.
{{/usCountry}}Sowing this year is expected to breach the 100% target with rains likely continue in the state. Despite an early setback with a delay in monsoon, farmers now expect good yield during the Kharif season.
{{/usCountry}}Rajasthan Kisan Union general secretary Badri Prasad Dhaka said, “With more rains, the sowing will increase. If it rains once or twice in the month of August, then there would be bumper yields this Kharif season.”
The crops that have been sown during the Kharif season include cereals such as paddy, jowar, bajra, maize and millets; pulses such as moong, moth, urad, chaula, arhar and others; oilseeds such as sesame, groundnut, soybean and castor seed; in addition to sugarcane, cotton and guar among others.
During the last Kharif season, sowing was done on 153.51 lakh hectares. The official said sowing by July 27, 2014, was on 88.05 lakh hectares, while same time this year sowing has been completed on 129.47 lakh hectares.
Kundan Lal, a farmer from Daulatpura in Benad area near Jaipur, said, “Initially, the meteorological department had forecasted less rains and the farmer community was quite worried. But now, with good rains almost all over the state, the farmers are very happy and sowing activity is at its peak.”