Several regions in the country have received good rain with the revival
of the southwest monsoon but showers have been scanty in most parts
of the groundnut-growing Saurashtra region, traders and weather officials
said on Monday.
The
country is likely to witness a sharp drop in farm output in the winter
season due to a severe drought following insufficient rain in the
past two months. Fresh rains are unlikely to reverse yield losses
so far, but could arrest further decline, they said.
India has been hit by its worst drought in more than 15 years, with
30 per cent less rainfall than normal in the annual June-September
monsoon. "About 30 per cent of Saurashtra region got good rains over
the weekend, but other parts need urgent showers," said an oilseed
trader based in Junagarh, Gujarat.
Saurashtra accounts for nearly 90 per cent of groundnut grown in Gujarat,
which produces almost half of the coountry's output of the oilseed.
"We are seeing cloudy weather, but rains are missing," said Dayabhai
Patel, director of Khedut Solvexp Ltd, based in Rajkot district. "It
is only drizzling in some pockets."
A key trade organisation, Solvent Extractors' Association of India,
has said winter groundnut output is likely to fall to 4.1 million
tonnes from 5.1 million due to deficient rains. According to weather
officials, 25 out of 36 meteorological subdivisions of the country
received deficient or scanty rains between June 1 and August 7.
"The
northern parts of the country have got good rainfall (over the weekend)
while it has been a bit subdued in the central Indian regions," HR
Hatwar, director of India Meteorological Department, told Reuters.
"Whatever is lost in July, is lost.
These rains will be good for the next crop." He said Saurashtra received
subdued or isolated rains but there was no rain in the extreme Kutch
region of Gujarat. "The monsoon has revived over the country but we
cannot say it is getting strengthened because no large trough is developing,"
Hatwar said.
Traders
said groundnut in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, which contributes
nearly 20 per cent to India's total output, was also likely to see
an output fall given an approximately 30 per cent drop in the crop
area.
"There
is no immediate threat to the crop in the state due to poor rains,
but output is not going to be more than 600,000 to 800,000 tonnes
in the current winter season," said Vitta Satish Kumar, a partner
of Andhra Pradesh-based VK Extractions Ltd.
MUMBAI: REUTERS
[ MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2002 1:51:30 PM ]
