No impact of third Covid wave on rabi crops: Centre

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 7

There has been no impact of the third wave of Covid pandemic on rabi crops as on date, the Centre today said, releasing an analysis of the coverage area under various winter crops and other details, including water reservoir and rainfall situation in the country.

While the coverage under wheat, rice, pulses and coarse cereals saw a decline of 1.72 per cent, 12.02 per cent, 0.97 per cent, 3.39 per cent, respectively, that under oilseeds shot up by 21.05 per cent with rapeseed and mustard showing major gains, as per data of the Agriculture Ministry

Officials termed the overall trend/progress during the rabi sowing season “very good”.

“It appears from the records of IMD that major growing states have received recent light winter rainfall which is beneficial for rabi crops. Most of the states are expected to achieve the targeted area of pulses by January 15 while sowing/transplanting of rabi rice will be carried out in the southern and eastern region till the end of January to first week of February. Besides, sowing window for wheat is up to the first fortnight of January,” they said

According to the IMD, the actual winter rainfall received in the country is 8.1 mm against normal of 2.4 mm, a departure of (+)237% between January 1 and 6 with rainfall in key states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, the live water storage in 137 reservoirs, as on January 6, is 100.07% of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 119% of storage average of past 10 years, as per the Central Water Commission.

As on date, the total sown area under rabi crops is 652.16 lakh ha against 646.23 lakh ha area during the corresponding period last year, an overall increase of 5.94 lakh ha.

However, the area under wheat decreased by 5.84 lakh ha to 333.97 lakh ha against 339.81 lakh ha recorded till January 7 last year.

Rice has been sown in 16.44 lakh ha against 18.69 lakh ha area of last year, a “marginal decrease” in coverage by 2.25 lakh ha, as on date. Similarly, the area coverage under pulses also declined to 156.23 lakh ha against 157.75 lakh ha area of last year, which the official record termed as a “marginal decrease in area coverage by 1.52 lakh ha”.

Area under coarse cereals saw a “marginal decrease” of 1.64 lakh ha to 46.68 lakh ha against 48.32 lakh ha area of last year, same date.

Oilseeds saw a significant jump with coverage rising to 98.85 lakh ha area against 81.66 lakh ha area last year, a “significant increase” of 17.19 lakh ha.

A significantly increased area coverage has been recorded under rapeseed and mustard (89.71 lakh ha) compared to corresponding period of last year 72.79 lakh ha, an increase of 16.92 lakh ha, according to the official figures.