Crops such as sugarcane, oilseeds, pulses and cotton have seen the most drastic dip, as farmers wait for a good spell of rain before they start sowing the crops. (Representational Image)Sowing activity in Maharashtra has dipped by 97 per cent compared to last year due to the delayed monsoon, according to the first sowing report issued by the state Department of Agriculture. Crops such as sugarcane, oilseeds, pulses and cotton have seen the most drastic dip, as farmers wait for a good spell of rain before they start sowing the crops.
Sangli is the only district that has received somewhat normal rainfall, while most districts in north Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha are yet to receive substantial rain. As many as 21 districts have reported less than 25 per cent of normal rainfall, while 11 districts have received 25-50 per cent of it.
As of June 18, sowing has been reported from only 39,176 hectares of farmland, compared to the sowing completed on 12.04 lakh hectares of land by June 22 last year. This year, farmers are yet to take up plantation of adsali sugarcane, as rains have largely played truant in the cane belt of west and south Maharashtra. Cotton has seen an equally poor show, it has been sown over 19,430 hectares this season, compared to 6.26 lakh hectares last year.
The crops affected the most by the delayed monsoon are oilseeds and pulses, with barely any sowing reported. This year, only 137 hectares of oilseeds have been sown, compared to the 3.33 lakh hectares last year. The state is yet to report any sowing of kharif pulses although last year 1.42 lakh hectares of pulses were sown by the third week of June.
After a delayed onset in Kerala, the monsoon has progressed at a sluggish pace and while it has covered all of Maharashtra, rains have remained by and large absent from most states. However, sowing activity across the state is expected to improve as monsoon rains intensify in the next few weeks.
