Oilseed cultivation has expanded by 2.5%, from 50.32 lakh hectares to 51.58 lakh hectares. Cereal production barely decreased by 0.39 percent, from 29.77 lakh hectares to 29.65 lakh hectares, keeping the situation virtually the same. The area used for cash crop cotton decreased marginally as well, from 41.96 lakh to 41.89 lakh hectares.
The decline in pulse sowing is attributed to poor monsoon in the Marathwada region. Only two of eight districts in the region Nanded and Hingoli – have received good rain this monsoon. The other six districts – Beed, Aurangabad, Jalna, Osmanabad, Latur and Parbhani – received very little rain, adversely impacting sowing, according to officials.
The pulse variety includes tur (yellow dal), moong (green gram), urad (black gram), and others. The area under tur has marginally decreased from 11.57 lakh hectares to 11.10 lakh hectares. Moong showed a sharp decline from the previous year’s 27.75 lakh hectares to 17.53 lakh hectares. Similarly, urad marked a steep decline from 35.64 lakh hectares to 25.21 lakh hectares. In other pulse varieties (miscellaneous), the downside was notable, from 78,716 hectares to 59,910 hectares.
While acknowledging challenges ahead in the Marathwada region, agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde said, ‘At least six districts in Marathwada have not received rain as expected. And it is a cause of serious concern.’
Apart from the Marathwada region, parts of northern Maharashtra and Vidarbha region are staring at new challenges.
Insiders in the agriculture ministry said, ‘The decrease in the area of food grains sowing by 2.84 lakh hectares will affect crop production.’ Officials estimate food grain production will decrease by 15 to 20 per cent.
However, the 2.5 per cent increase in oilseeds area has brought significant relief. The sowing of soyabean has increased from 48.45 lakh hectares to 50 lakh hectaresSoyabean is amongst the main crops grown in Maharashtra’s Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.
The oilseeds segment includes soyabean, sunflower, sesame, and bhuimoong (peanut). Sunflower sowing has reduced from 15,521 hectares to 2,629 hectares, and sesame dropped from 6,213 hectares to 4,482 hectares.
Cereal components include rice, jowar, bajri, ragi, and maize. Despite the National Millet Mission launched by the Centre and the state, the sowing of bajri is restricted to 3.60 lakh hectares. A year ago, it was 4.03 lakh hectares.
Similarly, jowar saw a reduction in sowing area from 1.45 lakh hectares to 1.10 lakh hectares. Rice slightly increased from 14.48 lakh hectares to 14.80 lakh hectares. In comparison, the ragi area saw a notable rise from 66,558 hectares to 73,404 hectares. Maize also saw an increase to 8.97 lakh hectares from 8.76 lakh hectares.