Nearly 3 months on, 60% districts in India see deficient pre-monsoon showers

PUNE: At least 66 districts (9%) in India, a majority from Gujarat (25), UP (14) and Maharashtra (11), have still not received any pre-monsoon showers (from March till May 23) despite a good rain forecast for May. This, experts said, could effect pre-sowing activities ahead of kharif season in these areas.
Though parts of peninsular and northeast India received good rainfall this month, large tracts of central India and parts of northwest India continue to show a major rain deficit. Nearly 31% districts in India are still showing a large deficit in pre-monsoon rainfall, while another 21% are deficient, IMD data till May 23 has revealed.

Farmers in Maharashtra said scarce or nil pre-monsoon rainfall was likely to delay land preparation activities before the start of the kharif season next month.
An IMD forecast till May 27 has indicated dry weather for a majority of districts in Maharashtra.
Scant pre-monsoon showers may hit kharif preparation
With nearly 60% of the districts in India seeing nil-to deficient pre-monsoon rain, pre-sowing activities for kharif could be affected.
Vijay Thube, director, Shashwat Krishi Vikas India-a farmers' producer firm in Pune district-said, "Lack of pre-monsoon showers have delayed pre-sowing activities like land tilling and levelling. The soil is dry in several parts of the state due to scanty or no rainfall. Since the agricultural fields are large, it isn't possible to water the fields artificially for pre-sowing preparations."

Uday Patil, chairman of a farmer's producers company in Kolhapur, said, "The gentle showers in the current period make pre-kharif activities such as soil preparation easy."
Ravi Patil, who heads a farmer producers' company in Vidarbha, said, "At times, excessive use of pesticides tends to harden and degrade the soil. When there are no pre-monsoon showers, the soil hardens further, making it difficult to plough the field for pre-sowing activities."
Dr Kripan Ghosh, head, agriculture meteorology division, IMD, Pune, told TOI, "Good pre-monsoon showers can be a boon for pre-kharif activities. Rice growing areas and nurseries could be prepared beforehand for kharif sowing with good pre-monsoon rainfall," Ghosh said.
Dheeraj Kumar, Maharashtra agriculture commissioner said, "In most of the places, kharif preparation is already underway, except in some paddy growing areas of Maharashtra. In such areas, lack of pre-monsoon showers may delay preparation of paddy fields."