2023-06-22 04:18:27
The Maharashtra government has advised farmers to hold back sowing of kharif crops till the state gets sufficient rainfall. Maharashtra is the top producer of tur or arhar, and sugar, and second largest producer of cotton and soyabeans.
The state has received just 11% of the normal June rainfall, and just a little over 1% of the kharif sowing has been completed till date. The agriculture department of the state had organised a meeting with the top officials of the India Meteorology Department to discuss contingency measures in the face of a delayed monsoon.
“The normal time of monsoon’s arrival is getting delayed due to climate change. According to the IMD, now the New Normal of Monsoon in the state will be around June 24-25,” said agriculture commissioner Sunil Chavhan in a release issued on Wednesday.
The government has advised farmers to begin sowing operations only after receiving 80-100 millimetres of rainfall to avoid the instances of resowing.
It has also advised the farmers to use 20% more seeds than normal and to use short duration varieties to ensure that the production does not fall drastically. The farmers have been advised to avoid sowing only one crop and instead go for intercropping to reduce risk from any crop failure.
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