Deficient monsoon leaves kharif crops at risk

Deficient rains in most states may hit the rice, maize, oilseeds, cotton and other kharif crops. The vulnerability is especially pronounced in most key producing states an NCDEX report says. The major vulnerability of kharif crops is in the major states like.

Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), Gujarat, West Bengal (WB), Karnataka and eastern Rajasthan. These states are major Kharif crops like bajra, rice, urad, arhar, groundnuts, soyabean, castor, sugarcane, cotton and jute are sown with the onset of monsoon rains in the month of June.

According to the report which quoted the Indian Meteorological Department, country received rainfall of 254.5 mm against a normal of 292.5 mm, indicating a deficiency of 13 per cent from 1June to 14July. Over the same period the vulnerability reported was 27 per cent, last year.

The report says better rainfall may be expected in the coming week. Quoting the IMD the report said the coming week would likely see widespread rainfall activity over the Northeastern states, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and northern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh during first half of the week.

Further, a fairly widespread rainfall could be expected which would likely continue over the west coast and south Gujarat during the first half of the week, according to the report. The report said there was a slim possibility of formation of a low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.