Bumper kharif and rabi crops expected to quell food inflation

The extended monsoon that Rajastan received has raised expectations of bumper kharif and rabi crops. Many reservoirs across the state are full and ready to meet the water demand from the agriculture sector.

The rain gods have been bountiful to the state following a long dry spell and with the many of water reservoirs being full to the brim, farmers expect that the in addition to the standing kharif crops, the stored water would also suffice to meet the rabi season demand. According to observers this augurs well for the citizens who are reeling under a food price-induced inflation.

The state's irrigation department says water bodies in the state have achieved about 50 per cent of their total capacity and with the monsoon rain still active, the water levels are likely to rise further. Of the 695 reservoirs, 91 are full while 398 are partly full.

Meanwhile, with the area under cultivation for pulses expected to rise to record levels during the current kharif season, the union agriculture department is expecting the prices of pulses and cereals to stabilise once the kharif crops are in the market.

A union agriculture ministry estimate, projects the production of pulses to increase more than a million tonnes during the current kharif season.

Last year, the kharif pulses production was 4.3 million tonnes down from the previous year's production of 4.69 million tonnes leading to unprecedented price rise. The overall production in 2009-10 crop year stood at 14.59 million tonnes as against 14.57 million tonnes in the previous year.