Unseasonal rainfall gives push to sowing of Rabi crops

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a positive development, the spell of unseasonal rainfall during last fortnight in Marathwada, has given a momentum to the sowing of Rabbi crops (including jowar, wheat, horse gram, safflower etc).

A fortnight ago, the sowing operation of Rabbi crops (in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna and Beed districts) was between 22 and 25 per cent due to incessant rainfall, but the falling of unseasonal rainfall, accelerated the sowing operations in the region and touched to around 50 per cent.

As reported earlier, the Kharif crops withered in 427 circles of 69 tehsils of Marathwada, due to incessant rainfall. Hence the state government announced granting of advance payment of insurance money to the farmers of these affected tehsils (circles). The total production of Kharif crops was less than 50 per cent.

The unexpected showers amidst hailstorm surprised the farmers. The agri-produce got damaged due to the hailstorm in some parts of the region.

Meanwhile, the farmers, after assessing the moistness of the soil, started the operations to sow Rabbi crops. According to the Department of Agriculture, the sowing has been done on 97,000 hectares of agricultural land in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district (around 50 per cent); 1.06 lakh hectares in Jalna district (49 pc) and 2.86 lakh hectares in Beed district (86 pc).

Box

Preferential sowing of crops by farmers (along with hectares of land)

Wheat- 49,908 ha

Jowari- 2,11,480 ha

Gram- 1,79,931 ha

Maize - 1727 ha

Other pulses - 2591 ha and

Oilseeds (Linseed, Safflower and Sesame) - 1682 ha