Date: Jan 02, 2012
 
North East monsoon and sowing of Rabi crops - 2011-12
 
  • The NE monsoon set in over Peninsular India on 24/10/2011 (Monday) after the withdrawal of southwest monsoon from Kerala and Lakshadweep. The onset of NE monsoon was delayed by 4 days as compared to its normal date of 20th October. The delay was due to delayed withdrawal of SW monsoon.

  • Out of 100 meteorological districts of TN, AP, Karnataka & Kerala, 63 districts (63%) have received excess/normal rainfall & the remaining 37 districts (37%) received deficient/scanty rainfall during the season.

  • The following South Indian meteorological subdivisions viz. TN, Kerala, South Interior and Coastal Karnataka have received normal rainfall between October 1 and December 28, 2011.

    Different regions Percentage of Long Period Average
    Tamil Nadu 114
    Kerala 87
    Coastal Andhra Pradesh 51
    Telangana
    		 15
    Rayalaseema 75
    Coastal Karnataka 98
    North Interior Karnataka 56
    South Interior Karnataka 99

    Growth in agriculture sector

  • The growth rate of agriculture and allied sectors reached the level of 6.6% for 2010-11, which is the highest achieved growth rate during the last six years.

  • The Government of India has launched several schemes viz. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Development and Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for Production and Distribution of Quality Seed, National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize (ISOPOM) etc in consultation with states to increase growth in the agriculture sector.

  • The production of foodgrains has increased from 234.47 million tones in 2008-09 to 241.56 million tonnes in 2010-11.

  • The per capita net availability of foodgrains in the country has increased from 416.2 grams/day in 2001 to 438.6 grams/day in 2010

    Share of Agriculture sector in GDP

  • As per the estimates from Central Statistics Office (CSO), the share of agriculture and allied sector in GDP of the country has declined from 47.6% in 1960-61 to 14.4% in 2010-11 at 2004-05 prices. This is due to structural changes in the economy and availability of more employment opportunities in new areas. The details of the share of agriculture sector in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country from the decade of sixties till the present decade is in the table below
    Year GDP share (%)
    1960-61 47.6
    1970-71 41.7
    1980-81 35.7
    1990-91 29.5
    2000-01 22.3
    2010-11 14.4

    Progress in Rabi sowing

  • Total wheat acreage is 1.52 lakh ha less than the area sown during the corresponding period last year. Higher coverage is reported from Madhya Pradesh (4.69 lakh ha), Rajasthan (3.20 lakh ha), Bihar (0.72 lakh ha), Jharkhand (0.37 lakh ha) and Chhattisgarh (0.18 lakh ha).

  • GOI has fixed 840 lakh tonnes for wheat as the production target during the current year (2011-12) GOI has implemented various crop development programmes like National Food Security Mission (NFSM-Wheat), Integrated Cereals Development Programme for Wheat under Macro Management of Agriculture and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) to achieve the target.

    • Table 1. South India meteorological sub-division wise rainfall (Oct 1 to Dec 28, 2011)

    Meteorological sub-division Normal
    (mm)
    		 Actual
    (mm)
    		 Departure
    (%)
    		 Category
    Andhra Pradesh        
    Coastal Andhra Pradesh 326.6 167.4 -49 Deficient
    Rayalaseema 218.3 164.1 -25 Deficient
    Telangana 119.0 17.4 -85 Scanty
    Karnataka        
    Coastal Karnataka 267.7 257.1 -2 Normal
    N. I. Karnataka 144.9

    80.8

    		 -44 Deficient
    S. I. Karnataka 209.2 206.4 -1 Normal
    Kerala 479.0 418.4 -13 Normal
    Tamilnadu & Puducherry 493.7 434.9 +14 Normal
    Excess: +20% or more, Normal: +19 to -19%, Deficient: -20 to -59%, Scanty: -60% & above

    Table. Minimum support price (MSP) of Rabi crops (2010-11 and 2011-12)
    Crops MSP (Rs./quintal) Changes in MSP
    2010-11 2011-12 Absolute (Rs./q) Per cent
    Wheat 1170* 1285 115 9.83
    Mustard/Rapeseed 1850 2500 650 35.14
    Chickpea (Gram) 1800 2500 700 38.89
    Lentil (Masur) 2100 2800 700 33.33
    Safflower 2250 2800 550 24.44
     
    End of South West Monsoon & Kharif sowing (2011), tractor industry, forecast of NE monsoon, prospects of Rabi sowing 2011-12: A report
     
  • The cumulative SW monsoon rainfall (1st June to 30th September, 2011) for the entire country registered 899.9 mm. This is +1% higher than the historic 'normal' or long period average (LPA) of 887.5 mm for this period for the entire country. As compared to the last year (2010), there is 1% decrease in the total rainfall (+2% last year to +1% this year). Aided by good and well distributed rain, the country is now heading for a bumper harvest for the second consecutive year.

  • Seasonal rainfall over Northwest India, Central India, south Peninsula and Northeast India was 107%, 110%, 100% & 86%, respectively, of its LPA.

  • Monthly rainfall was 112% of LPA in June, 85% of LPA in July, 110% of LPA in August and 106% of LPA in September.

  • The monsoon set in over Kerala on May 29, three day before its normal date of first June. The monsoon had also covered the entire country by 9 July, 6 days earlier than its normal date of July, 15.

  • The withdrawal of monsoon was delayed. It began from west Rajasthan only on September, 23 as compared to its normal date of first September.

  • The rainfall recorded over 33 out of 36 subdivisions was excess/normal and remaining 3 subdivisions recorded deficient rainfall. The following meteorological sub-divisions viz., Arunachal Pradesh (-24), Assam & Meghalaya (-32) and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura (-27) have registered deficient rainfall (1087-1342 mm as against 1489-1792). But this will have no adverse effect on the yield of Kharif crops grown in these regions, since majority of the crops require only 800 - 1000 mm of well distributed rain.

  • Out of the 603 meteorological districts, 453 districts (76%) received excess/normal rainfall and the remaining 150 districts (24%) received deficient/scanty rainfall during the season

    Southwest monsoon rainfall for the period 1st June to 30th September 2011

    Regions Actual (mm) Normal (mm) Actual % of normal
    Country as a whole 899.9 887.5 101
    Northwest India* 654.8 615.0 107
    Central India** 1073.6 975.5 110
    South Peninsula*** 715.2 715.2 100
    East & North East India**** 1233.6 1438.3 86
    *Northwest India: J&K. HP, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP & Delhi
    **Central India: Gujarat, MP, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra & Orissa
    ***South Peninsula: AP, Karnataka, TN, Kerala, Lakshadweep & A&N
    ****East & North-East India: WB, Bihar, Jharkhand & NE States

    • Table: Meteorological sub-division wise cumulative rainfall between June 1 and Sep 30, 2011

    Rainfall Meteorological sub-divisions.
    Excess
    (+20% or more)
    		 Western Madhya Pradesh, Eastern & Western Rajasthan, Saurashtra & Kutch Diu, Coastal Karnataka, Konkan & Goa and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
    Normal
    (+19% to -19%)
    		 Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Eastern & Western Uttar Pradesh, Eastern Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi & Chandigarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Chhatisgarh, Orissa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidharbha, Gujarat region, Daman & DNH, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Telangana, South & North Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, Kerala and Lakshadweep
    Deficient
    (-20% to -59%)
    		 Assam, Meghalaya & Arunanchal Pradesh and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura

    Sowing of Kharif crops
  • Total area sown under Kharif crops at all India level is 1054.01 lakh ha as compared to 1026.38 lakh ha in the previous year as on Sep30, 2011. This reveals that 27.63 lakh ha additional area is tilled as compared to the previous year.

  • Area under Kharif crops viz., rice, soybean, castor, cotton, sugarcane and jute/mesta increased by 9.50%, 10.41%, 45.30%, 9.37%, 3.03 and 6.94%, respectively, as on September 30, 2011.

  • Area under pulses has decreased by 9.05 as on September 23, 2011. The agriculture ministry has earmarked an additional fund of Rs 80 crore to the states to encourage them to increase the area under pulses in the upcoming Rabi season (October-April, 2011)

  • Increase in the area sown for rice is reported from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

  • Increase in the area sown for cotton is reported from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Haryana

    Crop production

  • GOI has estimated production of 241.56 m t of food grains in 2010-11 (current year) as compared to 218.11 m t in the previous year (2009-10). This is highest ever food grain production, surpassing the earlier record of 234.47 m t achieved in 2008-09.
    Crop
    Production (mt)
    2010-11*
    		 2009-10
    Wheat # 85.93 80.98
    Rice 95.32 89.31
    Coarse cereals# 42.22 33.13
    Pulses # 18.09 14.77
    Total foodgrains # 241.56 218.11
    Oilseeds # 31.10 25.41
    Sugarcane 339.17 274.66
    Cotton # ** 33.43 22.83
    # Highest ever
    *As per 4th advance estimate on July 12, 2011
    ** million bales of 170 kg each
    Source: Ministry of Agriculture

  • GOI has also set target for food grain production (Kharif & Rabi- June 2011 to May 2012) at 245.00 m t.

  • The total normal area covered under different Rabi crops is 764.47 lakh ha. It reveals that at least about 764.47 lakh ha area is to be tilled between October & December, 2011 to enable sowing.

  • The tractor sale increased by 80.09%, 53.51%, 46.83, 27.05% and 24.60% in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, respectively, as compared to the previous year as on Aug 31, 2011.
    • See weather pages to get the details (Viz. Southwest monsoon 2011 - End of season report, NE monsoon 2010, Rainfall in different regions of India, Rainfall in different states of India, Weather & impact on crops, Satellite image, Status of major reservoirs in India etc.)
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