Focus Shifts to Kharif Crop Progress After Sowing in Gujarat

Gandhinagar. With the sowing of Kharif crops—specifically groundnut, cotton, and castor, of which Gujarat is a leading producer—now complete, attention has shifted to their growth and development. There are concerns that crop health may deteriorate in certain parts of the state due to a prolonged dry spell. To safeguard the Kharif crops, the Gujarat government has decided to release water from dams and reservoirs, a move expected to provide significant relief to farmers.

Official data indicates that the total area under Kharif cultivation in Gujarat reached 83.56 lakh hectares this year, marking a decrease of 1.43 lakh hectares compared to the 84.99 lakh hectares sown last year. During the season under review, the state saw an increase in the acreage for paddy, sorghum (jowar), tur (pigeon pea), urad (black gram), soybean, and cotton, while the area under pearl millet (bajra), maize, moong (green gram), groundnut, castor, sesame, and guar declined.

Overall, the condition of Kharif crops in the state is reported to be normal or satisfactory; however, crops in some areas are being adversely affected by the lack of rainfall. The crops are now in urgent need of adequate irrigation, and canal water could prove beneficial in this regard. Preparations for harvesting early-sown Kharif crops have already begun in Gujarat, with the pace expected to pick up in the coming weeks.