Scanty rains to hit India's rice crop: minister
Saturday, 25 July 2009
NEW DELHI, July 24 (AFP): India warned Friday that patchy monsoon rains were threatening its lifeline rice crop, and said contingency plans were being drawn up to prevent any crisis.
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told parliament the June-September monsoon had been deficient across India, delaying sowing and planting in key agricultural states like Punjab and Haryana.
"Monsoon this year has been weak and erratic in its progress, resulting in late sowing of (paddy) crops," Pawar said during a debate on agriculture output.
The minister said rainfall nationwide was down 19 percent on the previous year, with a shortfall of 38 percent in the northwest and 43 percent in the northeast.
"Rice area and productivity may be adversely impacted which could be compensated to some extent by cultivating oilseeds, pulses and cereals," he said, noting the alternative sowing project was part of the emergency plan.
"The (present) coverage under paddy is 115,000 hectares (284,170 acres), compared to 145,000 hectares (358,301 acres) last year," he said, adding that the shortfall had been mainly reported from four states.
Nearly two thirds of India's 1.1 billion population still depend on agriculture for their livelihood.
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told parliament the June-September monsoon had been deficient across India, delaying sowing and planting in key agricultural states like Punjab and Haryana.
"Monsoon this year has been weak and erratic in its progress, resulting in late sowing of (paddy) crops," Pawar said during a debate on agriculture output.
The minister said rainfall nationwide was down 19 percent on the previous year, with a shortfall of 38 percent in the northwest and 43 percent in the northeast.
"Rice area and productivity may be adversely impacted which could be compensated to some extent by cultivating oilseeds, pulses and cereals," he said, noting the alternative sowing project was part of the emergency plan.
"The (present) coverage under paddy is 115,000 hectares (284,170 acres), compared to 145,000 hectares (358,301 acres) last year," he said, adding that the shortfall had been mainly reported from four states.
Nearly two thirds of India's 1.1 billion population still depend on agriculture for their livelihood.