Rajasthan sets lowers target for kharif crop this year

Rajasthan government has kept a conservative target to cover kharif crops to 149.25 lakh hectare for the current year. Last year, farmers in the state had sown kharif crops in an area of 158.69 lakh hectare (ha). "This is a conservative figure. Last year, monsoon was exceptionally good. Farmers used every inch of the available land. If the monsoon again turns out to be good this year, the acreage will definitely go up," an agriculture department official said. The kharif sowing has started from June and harvesting will begin from October. Farmers in Rajasthan cultivate crops like bajra, maize, guarseed and cotton during the kharif season.
The official said for bajra the target area has been kept at 50 lakh ha as against 54.89 lakh ha last year. Last year the state witnessed a bumper production of the crop with a total output of 60 lakh tonnes as against the average production of 32.39 lakh tonnes. This year the targeted production is kept at 45 lakh tonnes. However, the actual picture will be clear only after the monsoon breaks in, he added. The state government is organising kharif camps across the state to distribute fertilisers, seeds, pesticides and Kisan Credit Cards to the farmers.