The farming community has actively increased the planting of essential rabi crops like gram and mustard over the past week, even as the water levels in Southern India's reservoirs have dipped alarmingly. The Candall Water Commission's data revealed that reservoirs are at a worrying 44% of their Full Reservoir Level (FRL), a substantial decline from the 89% recorded at the same time last year and well below the decade's average of 76%.
Despite the water shortfall, farmers have nearly matched last year's planting figures for gram, with an area of approximately 4.14 million hectares already sown. Mustard cultivation has seen a marginal increase, with planting extending to 5.71 million hectares, up from last year's 5.68 million hectares during the corresponding period.
As mainstays of the rabi sowing season, the cultivation of gram and mustard is critical for food security and economic stability. However, wheat sowing statistics, which represent a significant portion of rabi crop cultivation, were unavailable this week.
According to trade analysts, the pace of planting for wheat and other rabi crops is expected to accelerate after the harvest of Kharif crops such as paddy in the northern states and sugarcane in Uttar Pradesh, with current harvesting progress reported at 60% for Punjab and 90% for Haryana.
(By Commoditiescontrol Bureau)
|