Better
oilseed, pulses crop seen this kharif
NEW
DELHI: A healthy crop in oilseeds, pulses and coarse cereals is expected
this kharif, impacting the GDP positively. In addition, foodgrain
and commercial crop production too — with the exception of sugarcane
— is likely to exceed last year’s production, if the sown area is
used as a criterion.
A
recent review meeting by the agriculture ministry’s multi-expert Crop
Weather Watch Group (CWWG) has assessed that the area under oilseeds
this year is around 75.3% of normal coverage, as compared to 62.3%
in the year-ago period. Kharif pulses have far exceeded the area covered
as compared to last year at 75% of normal area sown. Last year, the
area covered was only 42%.
The
good news on both these fronts is expected to have a positive impact
on import bill for oilseeds and pulses. While oilseeds are routinely
imported annually in view of the shortfall in domestic production,
edible oil ranks among the highest on the country’s commodity import
list.
Area
under key kharif foodgrain, rice, also gives ample reason for good
cheer given the 30.5% (of normal area) covered against 28.3% in the
year-ago period.
During
1992-1997, the price of rice in the market increased 10.1% while the
corresponding increase in pulses and edible oils was 16% and 3.6%
respectively. In 1998-2003, wheat and rice prices rose 2.4% and 2.9%
while that of pulses rose by 3.8%, with the higher imports spelling
higher price for consumers on the pulses front.Edible oil prices fell
0.9% in the same period. The lower import bill may, therefore, impact
positively on consumers. For kharif coarse cereals, the area covered
thus far this monsoon season is also 75.3% of normal area, as compared
to last year’s 58.9% coverage. Among commercial crops, there is a
shortfall in the area covered under sugarcane, which itself is a significant
97.7% of the normal area of coverage, as compared to last year’s 100%.
The
area covered under sugarcane normally is 43 lakh hectares. As compared
to this, the area under coverage this year is one lakh hectare short
at 42 lakh hectares as compared to last year’s 43 lakh hectares.
Jute
too, has only a shortfall in coverage, but an insignificant one at
88.1% of normal covered area against 90% last year. Cotton, though,
is expected to be on the higher side of production given a coverage
of 63.6% of normal area. Last year, the area sown was 50% of normal
area.
The
good news is not only on the crop production front. It extends to
pest infestation, locust activity and water reservoir as well. The
latter will also impact the Rabi crop positively, given the positive
rate of reservoir recharge in 70 major reservoirs. On the plus side,
there is no reported shortage of any commonly used chemical pesticide
or bio pesticide in the country. The incidence of pest and diseases
remained way below the economic threshold level generally for most
crops
In
the week ending July 25, the water in these went up to 30.18% BCM,
an increase of 6% over the previous week’s level. According to the
Central Water Commission, which monitors the situation, the live storage
in these reservoirs is about 23% of the Full Reservoir Level (FRL)
of 313.28 BCM. This is a super healthy 126% of last year’s level and
62% of the last 10 year’s average.
The
CWWG has assessed that all crops remain free from any gregarious locust
activity at present. However, the ecological conditions may turn conducive
for locust breeding in the Scheduled Desert Area due to widespread
monsoons, the Group warned. That area covers parts of Barmer, Jaisalmer,
Jodhpur, Sriganganagar, Churu, Bhuj, Deesa districts of Rajasthan
and Gujarat
TIMES
NEWS NETWORK
[ SATURDAY, AUGUST
02, 2003 06:53:28 AM ]
