BHUBANESWAR: With nine districts receiving deficit rainfall of more than 20 per cent, area coverage under kharif crops in the state is marginally less than the corresponding period last year.
The coverage area under kharif crops as on August 2, 2024 was 19.95 lakh hectare (ha) while the cropping area was 20.58 lakh ha during the same time last year. The area under paddy cultivation so far is 11.76 lakh ha against the programmed area of over 36 lakh ha. During the same period last year, 12.35 lakh ha were under paddy cultivation.
According to a report provided to the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, 2.28 lakh ha were covered under pulses against 2.13 lakh ha in the first week of August last year. The area coverage under oil seeds has, however, remained same at 77,000 ha.
With the IMD predicting a normal monsoon like last year, the state has set a higher target to take up kharif crops over an area of 60.78 lakh ha against 59.35 lakh ha achieved under major crops like paddy, pulses, cotton, millet, oilseeds and vegetables in 2023.
Sources in the Agriculture department said the kharif operation started a little late due to delay in arrival of monsoon and erratic rainfall in some districts. As the monsoon is active and more rainfall is expected in the coming days due to occurrences of back-to-back low pressures in the Bay of Bengal, agriculture operations are underway in full swing.
Citing the example of Puri district which received 36 per cent less rainfall than the normal, the sources said agricultural operations like beushening and transplanting of paddy are going on in full swing. Sowing of non-paddy crops like pulses, oilseeds, cotton, maize, ragi, vegetables and spices is also underway. The crop coverage of the district is 50 per cent.
Except a few western Odisha districts where the crop coverage is above 70 per cent, the area covered under kharif crops in other districts is 50 per cent or a little more.
