NO impact of Covid-19 on agriculture sector: area under Kharif

DESPITE  consumers grumbling for rising prices of essential commodities, India is expected to have enough foodgrains as in the previous years with the government claiming there is no impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Kharif (summer) sowing .The total area planted under rice and other crops has increased by 21.20 per cent to 691.86 lakh hectare so far in the current season. The country has so far received good rainfall and water level in 123 reservoirs across the country is in good position said the Union Agriculture Ministry detailing the latest sowing data. Kharif season commences in June  till  October. Kharif crops are usually sown with the beginning of the first rains during the advent of the south-west monsoon season, and they are harvested at the end of monsoon season (October-November).Harvesting starts from October kicking off festivities all over India including Bihu, Durga Puja followed by Deepavali or Diwali. Rice is the main kharif crop, besides bajra, arhar, urad, moong, groundnut and soyabean. Oilseeds 154.95 lakh ha area against 110.09 lakh ha area last year i.e. area coverage increased by 40.75 %,Sugarcane on 51.29 lakh ha area against 50.82 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 0.92%.Under Cotton, area coverage reported on 113.01 lakh ha area against 96.35 lakh ha area last year i.e. increase in area coverage by 17.28 % and In case of Jute & Mesta, on 6.88 lakh ha area against 6.84 lakh ha area last year  i.e. increase in area coverage by 0.70% reported in the country. So, there is no impact of COVID-19 on progress of area coverage under kharif crops as on date, it said. Among kharif crops, area planted to rice has increased by 18.59% to 168.47 lakh hectare as on July 17 from 142.06 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. There has been significant increase in the planting of oilseeds and pulses so far during the ongoing kharif season. Area  under cultivation of pulses for which India   is having to depending on  import  has gone up by 32.35% to 81.66 lakh hectare, from 61.70 lakh hectare, while that of oilseeds acreage has increased by 40.75% to 154.95 lakh hectare compared to 110.09 lakh hectare during the same period. Area under cultivation of coarse cereals has also increased by 12.23 % to 115.60 lakh hectare so far as against 103 lakh hectares in the previous Kharif season. Various  incentives  given by Modi Sarkar including the benefit of Rs 6,000 per year through  direct bank transfer under the PM-KISAN scheme to 14.5 crore farmers irrespective of the size of their landholding, has also  encouraged them. As on 16.07.2020, actual rainfall received in the country is 338.3 mm against normal of 308.4 mm i.e. departure of (+) 10% during the period from 01.06.2020 to 16.07.2020. As on 16.07.2020 as per report of CWC, the live water storage available in 123 reservoirs in the country is 150 % of live storage of corresponding period of last year and 133% of storage of average of last ten years  bringing smile to the agriculture sector, says the ministry. Image courtesy :Medium

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