Heavy rainfall damaging Kharif crops in Bundelkhand; pulses most affected
21-Jul-2025 09:32 AM
Heavy rainfall damaging Kharif crops in Bundelkhand; pulses most affected
★ Continuous heavy rainfall in Bundelkhand is causing significant damage to Kharif crops, especially pulses. In Lalitpur district, standing water in the fields is destroying seeds, and pulses like moong and urad are expected to be the worst affected.
Situation in Lalitpur:
★ Urad is cultivated on an average of 2.34 lakh hectares annually, producing around 1.76 lakh metric tonnes.
★ Moong has an average production of 1,300 metric tonnes.
★ Due to excessive rainfall, only 60–70% of the sowing has been completed so far.
★ Even in areas where sowing occurred, seeds are rotting due to waterlogging, leading to likely crop failure.
★ This will directly impact the local pulse trade in the district.
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Situation in Jhansi:
★ Similar conditions prevail here too.
★ Sowing of coarse grains, pulses, and oilseeds has reached only 65% so far.
★ Within pulses, moong and urad sowing has reached just 61%, while soybean sowing in oilseeds stands at 69%.
★ By July 18, the average expected rainfall was 267.06 mm, but 499.7 mm of rainfall was recorded, almost double the normal.
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Due to excessive rainfall:
★ Sowing of Kharif crops has been disrupted.
★ Seeds in already sown fields are damaged by waterlogging.
★ The state government has deployed 48 survey teams to assess the damage.
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★ Bundelkhand is a major pulse-producing region during the Kharif season.
★ If the rainfall trend continues, not only pulses but also coarse grains, maize, soybean, groundnut, and cotton could be affected.
★ A drop in production will force local mills to procure from other districts, which may increase demand and support prices for these crops in the coming months.