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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Record rains in June aids power, agricultural output -Madhvi Sally

Record rains in June aids power, agricultural output -Madhvi Sally

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published Published on Jul 2, 2013   modified Modified on Jul 2, 2013
-The Economic Times


NEW DELHI: Agriculture output is poised to accelerate and power deficits will narrow as the monsoon has begun bountifully in its first month, irrigating fields and filling up reservoirs with the heaviest June rainfall in more than a decade.

Rainfall has been 32% above normal in June, injecting moisture into fields and preparing them for early sowing of kharif crops and reducing the farmer's need for electricity or diesel to pump water into fields.

A heavy rainfall in the Himalayan region has helped key reservoirs such as Bhakra and Tehri accumulate huge reserves of water, much higher than normal. This will help generate more electricity and irrigate fields. Of the 85 main reservoirs across the country, 60 now have 80% of normal storage, which is expected to help rabi crop sowing later in the year. Crop planting has already jumped, according to official data. By June 28, total sown area had jumped to 250.99 lakh hectare from 135.87 hectare at this time last year.

"There has been an unprecedented sowing this year with a good spread of rainfall. If the dry spell is not for a longer duration, we should be looking at a bumper harvest," said AK Sikka, deputy director general (Natural Resource Management), Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Deficient and erratic rains in 2012-13 reduced grain output to 252.36 mt from 259.32 mt in 2011-12.

The four-month-long rainy season began on June 1, recording 216.3-mm rainfall till June 30, which was 32% above normal. According to the MD, it was after 12 years that the country received such heavy rains in June. In 2001, the country received 35.6% normal rainfall at 219 mm in June and it saw a 37.7% above normal rainfall at 219.8 mm way back in 1980.

Monsoon was weak in 2002, 2004, 2009 and 2012, which impacted sowing pattern, yield and production. Apart from increasing acreage, no major change in crop pattern and good production, the rains will also help farmers who mainly grow long-duration crops like cotton, sugarcane and those in rainfed regions to save on labour, diesel and electricity cost to run tube wells.

"Initial signs are good. If the trend continues, it will be beneficial not only for farmers and consumers but for the economy. Our growth rate has slowed down in the last two years. Agriculture can provide the much-needed push. It will also help in keeping a check on inflation and macro economic stability," said Ramesh Chand, director, National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi. July and August are of extreme importance as the maximum spell of rainfall is received during these months which helps moisten the earth for sowing and to mature planted crops. A good monsoon is of particular importance for paddy (42% of area is rainfed), which constitutes more than 60% of the kharif crop. "Farmers in Punjab and Haryana exploit water resources and ensure that the crop is good even in a drought year. However, this is not the case in other parts of the country.But we see rains helping farmers immensely in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh," said Sikka.


The Economic Times, 2 July, 2013, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/record-rains-in-june-aids-power-agricultural-output/articleshow/20867621.cms


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