Prolonged rains boon for rabi crops, hit kharif

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 14

The prolonged southwest monsoon spanning 100 days has created congenial conditions for the rabi crop but hit the harvesting of kharif crop in the last leg.

The harvesting of kharif crop was hit due to the extended monsoon and, as per preliminary assessment, the loss to the maize crop was 5 per cent. The maximum damage was reported from Mandi district, said Director, Agriculture, RK Kaundal.

However, the rains have provided sufficient moisture and soil is ready for the rabi crop to be sown during October and November. If the weather conditions remain favourable and periodic rain continues during the winter, the crop prospects will brighten, says experts.

The rains are also good for growth of fodder and off-season vegetables and farmers are set to start sowing rabi crop like wheat, oat, gram, peas, barley, potato, tomato, oil seeds and pulses.

The monsoon ended with a marginal deficit of 10 per cent but it was not evenly distributed. Besides Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur, which experienced 56 per cent and 55 per cent less rain, deficit was 45 per cent in Chamba, 18 per cent in Kangra,15 per cent in Sirmaur and 14 per cent in Solan district.

During the past decade, Himachal has emerged as a major vegetable growing state and surpassed the foodgrain production. As a consequence, the production has been fixed at 16.36 lakh tonnes while the vegetable production target is marginally higher at 16.56 lakh tonnes.

The target for pulses has been lowered from 62,500 tonnes to 30,300 tonnes and for potato was unchanged at 1.95-lakh tonne. The foodgrain production was 15.72 lakh tonne in 2016-17 but reduced to 15.30 lakh tonnes in 2017-18 as monsoon deficit was 48 per cent. On the contrary, the vegetable production was not affected and increased from 16.53 lakh tonne to 16.91 lakh tonne in the period.

The state received 12 per cent excess rain last year and the foodgrain production increased to 16.68 lakh tonnes in 2018-19 while vegetable production was down at 16.50 lakh tonne.

Farmers eyeing good returns

• Harvesting of kharif crop was hit and the loss to the maize crop was 5 per cent
• The rains have provided sufficient moisture and soil is ready for the rabi crop.
• If the weather conditions remain favourable during the winter, the crop prospects will brighten.
• The rains are also good for the growth of fodder and off-season vegetables.
• Farmers are set to start sowing rabi crop like wheat, oat, gram, peas, barley, potato, tomato, oil seeds and pulses.