Despite the delay in monsoon, farmers in Gujarat have sown 83.84 lakh hectares this kharif season, which is more than 98 per cent of the average land cultivated during this period.
With the state receiving 609 mm (mm) of rainfall so far this monsoon, Gujarat’s rainfall deficit has come down to 11 per cent on September 25.
Despite the current shortage in many districts, the sowing is close to 100%. The average area under Kharif crops in Gujarat during the last three years was 85.54 lakh hectares as against 85.83 lakh hectares last year.
Data published by the Directorate of Agriculture, Government of Gujarat shows that while crops like cotton (22.53 lakh hectares) and groundnut (19.09 lakh hectares) dominate the kharif sowing in the state, there has been a significant increase in the area under soybean, urad. black gram) and moong (green gram). Farmers saw the highest increase of 174 per cent in soybean this season with 2.24 lakh hectares sown. About 50 per cent of this sowing has been done in Saurashtra, especially in Gir Somnath, Junagadh and Amreli districts, which have received good rains.
Similarly, the area under urad has also increased by 157 percent this year with 1.54 lakh hectares sown. More than 90,000 hectares have been sown in northern Gujarat, with farmers from Patan and Mehsana being the main ones. The area under moong also increased by 118 percent to 98,600 hectares. With this crop has been sown in 55,000 hectares of Kutch district.
The districts of Saurashtra region have also seen maximum cotton and groundnut sown this year. Farmers of this region have sown 15.34 lakh hectares of groundnut and 15.6 lakh hectares of cotton.
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