Date:10/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/10/stories/2008071054270400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Deficient rainfall affects sowing

Nagesh Prabhu

Only 28 per cent of the targeted area covered

Commercial crops had been sown in 72 per cent of the targeted area
Erratic monsoon caused crop loss on 1.53 lakh hectares

BANGALORE: Deficient rainfall has adversely affected the sowing operations in 124 of 175 taluks in the State.

Monsoon continued to be weak for the fourth consecutive week in the State and the cumulative rainfall till July 8 was 198 mm against a normal 262 mm.

According to sources in the Government, the total sown area was 20.9 lakh hectares of land, accounting for a mere 28 per cent coverage, against the targeted area of 74.73 lakh hectares of land during the current kharif season. The coverage in 2007 kharif season was 36.48 lakh hectares of land. So far, the farmers purchased 1.75 lakh quintals of seeds against the corresponding 2.85 lakh quintals during the last kharif season.

Sowing has been so bad that the percentage coverage in Bangalore Urban and Kolar districts was nil while it was one per cent in Chickballapur district, 3 per cent each in Raichur and Ramanagara, 4 per cent in Tumkur, 5 per cent in Bijapur, 6 per cent in Mandya, 7 per cent in Gulbarga, 10 per cent in Kodagu, 14 per cent in Gadag, 39 per cent in Chamarajanagar, 41 per cent in Dakshina Kannada, 45 per cent each in Shimoga, Udupi and Dharwad, 47 per cent in Mysore, 65 per cent in Haveri and 67 per cent in Belgaum, according to official sources.

The percentage coverage for cereals was 25, pulses (22 per cent) and oilseeds (23 per cent).

Though the pre-monsoon showers had set early in the fag end of March bringing cheer to farmers, deficit rainfall during June and July has brought about a tardy progress in the sowings of paddy (21 per cent), ragi (3 per cent), bajra (12 per cent), minor millets (21 per cent), horsegram (2 per cent), avare (3 per cent), groundnut (11 per cent), sunflower (18 per cent). Among oilseeds, soyabean was sown on 96 per cent of the targeted area.

Commercial crops had been sown in 72 per cent of the targeted area.

The coverage of sugarcane was 79 per cent, cotton 63 per cent and tobacco 75 per cent. The targeted areas for commercial crops was 4.58 lakh hectares of land.

Due to lack of rain, sowing of cereals and pulses had been taken up only in 10.92 per cent of rainfed area with the available moisture received up to July 7.

According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, the districts of Bangalore Rural and Urban, Ramanagara, Bellary, Koppal, Raichur, and Gulbarga are expected to record zero rainfall in the next four days (till July 13) while Chitradurga and Bagalkot districts expected to receive 10.1 mm to 25 mm of rain.

Official sources said erratic monsoon caused crop loss on 1.53 lakh hectares of land in Bellary, Koppal, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bidar, Chitradurga, Chamarajangar, Hassan and Tumkur districts.

Minor incidence of stem borer in maize, boll worm in cotton and rust in sunflower was observed in parts of Chitradurga and Davangere districts.