New Delhi: Agriculture secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak has said that, the country is headed for good rabi season despite below normal monsoon rains, thanks to a surge of rainfall in the last week of September that replenished soil moisture.
Pattanayak also said that, the late rains will benefit planting of rabi crops such as wheat and chana. The season's total rainfall for the country is 5% below normal, but it will not make any impact on planting that will begin in a fortnight.
He said, “we are expecting a very good rabi season, so that should make up for all the minuses which has been ascribed for kharif."
There was a deficit rainfall in most parts of northwest and central India, but farmers in Punjab and Haryana have access to canal irrigation that helps them plant even if rainfall is scanty.
Pattanayak said, “Monsoon is now in withdrawal phase but still not complete, as we are expecting four days of very good rain in some parts of south India and that is the region where rainfall has been deficit.”
As of August end more than 225 districts in 17 states had less than normal rainfall, said a drought assessment report prepared by Mahalanobis Crop Forecast Centre under the agriculture ministry.
Pattanayak also said, “The occasional dip in vegetables will be there depending on local and seasonal condition, but we are quite comfortable in onion and potato production.”
