New Delhi, September 10
In order to assist states in planning and implementing district-level strategy for increasing the crop area and productivity during the rabi sowing season, the Agriculture Ministry is deploying technical and administrative officials in states where large areas have remained unsown in kharif season and there is possibility of early rabi sowing.

These consultants will prepare the rabi plan, oversee its implementation and focus on synergy among various agriculture-related programmes of the Centre to increase area and ensure early sowing of winter crops to boost productivity.

Due to delayed, deficient and erratic rainfall this year, the kharif crop season has been adversely affected with a large area particularly of paddy crop remaining unsown. More than 250 districts in various states have been declared drought-hit with an estimated likely loss of crop production of more than 50 per cent in these districts.

There has been a revival in rains, which has increased soil moisture and water reservoir levels giving an opportunity to compensate Kharif production losses with early, higher and better rabi crop season, officials say.

The monsoon is active and IMD officials say the parched northwest region is likely to get good rainfall during the next 24 hours. “Rains are likely to continue in the northwest till Friday and decrease thereafter. In Rajasthan there has been a slight delay in withdrawal of monsoon but it is within the normal variability,” says IMD Director SC Bhan.

While the IMD is playing safe with its predictions considering the sensitivity of the issue for the country, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar recently said India's monsoon season may be prolonged by as much as three weeks after rains failed in many parts of the country despite an early start to the season,

While kharif crops have suffered due to erratic monsoon, longer-than-usual monsoon season would be good for winter-sown crops such as wheat, pulses and oilseeds.

According to the statistics of the IMD, the monsoon starts withdrawing from Rajasthan around September 1. With these rains, the monsoon deficit is expected to fall between 15 per cent and 18 per cent. The deficit was around 50 per cent during June-end. In all, good rains now spell good news for the rabi season.

There is some more good news for the rabi season. Reservoirs are filling faster and government data shows that water levels in the country’s main reservoirs have risen to 51 per cent of their capacity after the monsoon delivered the season's strongest rainfall in the past week.

The water level rose by 6 per cent, faster than the 10-year average rise of two per cent points for the week. Reservoir levels are still well below their 10-year average of 62 per cent at this stage of the season.

While preparing the rabi plan, Agriculture Ministry consultants would explore the feasibility of bringing in additional areas and increasing productivity under various rabi crops at the district level. The consultants would monitor the implementation of the rabi plans in the districts till the sowing is over at the end of November and submit report on the crop condition in the state.

Meanwhile, an inter-ministerial group comprising representatives from various ministries, including agriculture, food, water resources, fertilisers, railways and petroleum, is meeting tomorrow under the chairmanship of Agriculture Secretary T Nand Kumar to review steps being taken to improve crop production.