Paddy is the most significant crop by share in the district, spread over more than 60,000 hectares
Pune: A weak start to the monsoon and concerns over El Niño impact had cast a shadow over Pune’s Kharif season, but a strong spell of rainfall in July has come as a relief to farmers, with the district achieving 100% of its average Kharif sowing target. The agriculture department has not reported any significant outbreak of crop diseases so far this season, which officials said augurs well for the farmers.
District agriculture officer Sanjay Kachole said the department was initially apprehensive about the progress of sowing as rainfall remained below average in June. “It’s a big relief for us as we were a little doubtful about achieving 100% sowing this season, particularly due to the El Niño factor,” Kachole told TOI . With regular rainfall in July, we went ahead with sowing,” said Akshay Kale, a farmer from Khed tehsil, expressing relief that his crop looked promising. “Sowing is only the first step,” Manikrao Kale from Shirur tehsil said. “We still have to closely watch the weather in the coming weeks,” another agriculture official said.
The situation changed significantly with improved rainfall in July. “We were unsure about spending money on seeds and other inputs in June. “A long gap in rainfall at this stage can increase costs and affect yield.
Impact of Delayed Rainfall on Pulse Sowing
Farmers in the district have experienced significant delays in sowing pulses due to insufficient rainfall. The lack of adequate soil moisture has particularly hindered the planting of black gram and green gram. As a result, many farmers have been forced to postpone their sowing activities until conditions improve.
Another farmer said the distribution of rainfall over the next few weeks would determine the final harvest. If the rains continue at regular intervals, there is a possibility of a good crop this year,” said Ashok Kolekar, a farmer from Khed tehsil. “We have completed sowing, but the real test will be the next few weeks.