BHAWANIPATNA: Deficit rainfall in Kalahandi after a few days of sowing of cotton seeds has raised hopes of a good produce this year. One of the major cotton growing districts in the State, the crop has been grown on 65,000 hectare of land here in the current kharif season as opposed to 60,988 hectare covered last year.
During sowing in May, the district received 41 per cent excess rainfall which helped in the preparation of land for sowing. Dip in rainfall to 34 per cent in June and even lesser in July so far has proved conducive for cultivation of non-paddy crops like cotton, maize and arhar (yellow lentil). Last year, the entire area covered by cotton plantation was on non-irrigated land but this year around 6,750 hectare has been cultivated on irrigated and the remaining 58,690 hectare on non-irrigated land.
An assessment of the cotton scheme office states that so far 70 per cent of the targeted areas have already been covered. The office sources further said, this year inter-cropping programme to grow arhar (in the ratio of eight lines of cotton and two lines of arhar) on 800 hectare in the cotton fields has been made.
Cotton scheme officer Suvendu Kar said this initiative of arhar plantation will provide additional income to the farmers and help in pest control as the crop will suck pests and bollworm. “We are hopeful that conducive weather this year will result in better quality and increased production of cotton,” added Kar.
Kalahandi contributes around 40 per cent of of the total cotton produced in the State and is grown in areas like Bhawanipatna, Kesinga, Golamunda and Narla blocks. As experts say, cotton is one of those crops which is not affected by vagaries of weather as within its long period of growth, fruit bearing and maturity, it gets ample scope to cover up any setback.