Gandhinagar: Sowing of Rabi or winter crops including Cumin, gram in Gujarat this year has seen a considerable reduction so far as per the latest official figures provided by the Directorate of Agriculture of the state government.

As per the official data so far only around 7.89 lakh hectare area in all have been sown with various Rabi crops this year against that of 13.70 lakh hectares up to the same period last year (up to November 19), which was over 42% less .

Of the sown area North Gujarat has the maximum of 3.38 lakh hectare, Central Gujarat 2.45 lakh hectare, South Gujarat 1.22 lakh hectare while Saurashtra has the minimum of 0.73 lakh hectare.

It is also estimated that as against the total sown Rabi crop area of 3135700 hectares of last year, the same was likely to be restricted to much below at around 25 to 27 lakh hectares by the end of the sowing period.

Though the rabi crops completely depend on irrigation yet indirectly it has to depend on monsoon rain which decides the water storage for it in the water scarce state. Notably, Gujarat had received only 76.69% of its average rain during monsoon this year. Kutch region had seen only 26.51% and two of its talukas had seen less than 10% with Lakhpat seeing as low as 3.44%. Rapar has seen 5.65%. The third such taluka (only three were in single digit figures) was Vav in Banaskantha district of North Gujarat with 5.56%. North Gujarat as a region has also seen only 48.06% rain. East Central Gujarat has seen 71.55%, Saurashtra 72.93% and South Gujarat 96.45%.

Gujarat government has so far announced 51 talukas completely drought hit while 45 others partially affected. This way almost 40% of the talukas of the state are either fully or partially drought hit.

DeshGujarat