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Sowing of all kharif crops, including paddy, decreased even as the first week of July 2023 came to an end, data from the National Food Security Mission website of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare showed on July 7.
An area of 35.34 million hectares (mha) had been sowed as of July 7. This is 3.36 mha (8.68 per cent) less than last year. It is 9.48 mha or 22 per cent less compared to 2021.
The biggest impact is being seen in Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Maharashtra, 8.34 mha had been sown so far last year. But this time only 3.63 mha have been sown. In Karnataka, 3.59 mha were sown last year, while this year only 1.97 mha have been sown.
Chhattisgarh is the third-most affected state. So far, only 0.34 mha have been sown in the state, compared to 1.21 mha last year and 1.91 mha in the previous year.
Rice is the main crop of the Kharif season. Statistics show that paddy sowing may be significantly impacted this year.
Paddy is sown between June 15 and July 15 in most rice-producing states of the country as this time is considered to be appropriate for production. This period will elapse in seven days. But the figures so far are disappointing.
According to the figures, 23.89 per cent of the area has not been sown till July 7, compared to the same period last year. Paddy has been sown in 5.41 mha till the first week of July this year. Last year, paddy had already been sown in 7.11 mha till the first week of July. That is, paddy has not been sown in 1.7 mha this time.
This year’s sowing is 4.09 mha less compared to the first week of July 2021. Sowing had been carried out in 9.50 mha in the first week of July 2021.
Chhattisgarh is a paddy-producing state. But this year, not much paddy has been sown. Just 0.28 mha have been sown till now this year, compared to 0.9 mha at this time last year and 1.51 mha in 2021.
According to media reports, there was a drought-like situation in the state till June 20. But as soon as the monsoon rains started, there was so much rain that the farmers could not even plant paddy nurseries.
In Odisha too, paddy sowing has come down considerably. So far this year, paddy has been sown in 0.11 mha, which is 0.25 mha less compared to 2022 and 0.47 mha compared to 2021.
About 0.1 mha have been sown in Assam so far, compared to 0.32 mha last year and 0.42 mha in 2021. So far, paddy sowing has decreased in 0.37 mha in Punjab and 0.12 mha in Haryana compared to last year.
In the case of pulses too, this season has been bad so far. Pulses have been cultivated in 3.26 mha so far this year, compared to 4.4 mha (23.90 per cent more) hectares last year. The decrease in sowing of arhar (pigeon pea) has become a cause of concern.
The sowing of arhar has decreased by 60 per cent so far this year. But it is much more if compared to 2021. For example, arhar has been sown in only 0.6 mha this year, compared to 1.51 mha last year and 2.32 mha in 2021.
This is the reason that while the prices of arhar are increasing, the central government has decided to import pigeon pea. Sowing of pigeon pea has come down drastically in Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The sowing of oilseeds has also declined by 14 per cent this year compared to last year. The sowing of sunflower has decreased significantly.