MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)
(a) to (c):A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 21 DUE FOR REPLY ON 08TH JULY, 2014.
(a) to (c): India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that rainfall during 2014 South West Monsoon for the country as a whole is likely to be 93% of the Long Period Average (LPA) with a model error of +4%. Rainfall is likely to be 85% of LPA over North-West India, 94% of LPA over Central India, 93% of LPA over South Peninsula and 99% of LPA over North-East India, all with a model error of ± 8 %. The monthly rainfall over the country is likely to be 93% of its LPA during July and 96% of LPA during August, both with a model error of ± 9 %.
Delay in onset of monsoon and its slow progress has caused delay in sowing of paddy, pulses, oilseeds and cotton. However, the sowing window is available till early August and sowing coverage is expected to improve with further progress of monsoon.
The storage position in 85 major reservoirs across the country is 112% of average of last 10 years. This water would also be available for supplemental irrigation in case of any deficiency in rainfall.
The stock of wheat and rice in the Central pool is well above buffer norms and is sufficient to meet the food security requirements of the country.
Government has taken several measures to address any situation arising due to deficiency in monsoon rainfall.
Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), in collaboration with State Agricultural Universities has prepared contingency plans for 500 districts for implementing location specific interventions to sustain agriculture production in the eventuality of weak monsoon/deficient rainfall.
States have been advised to ensure availability of short duration and drought tolerant varieties of seeds so as to be in a position to supply them to farmers in case such a need arises. States have also been advised to keep asides 10% of funds available under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and other schemes for undertaking appropriate interventions to mitigate any situation arising out of deficient rainfall.
States have also been requested to construct water harvesting structures, restore irrigation infrastructure by desilting canals; energising tubewells, replacing/repairing faulty pumps and arranging power to meet irrigation needs.
Field functionaries and extension workers under Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) and other schemes are educating, training and making the farmers aware of various techniques to overcome deficient rainfall. Farmers are also being advised through Farmers’ SMS portal, Kisan Call Centres, Kisanvani Programme of All India Radio(AIR) and Krishi Darshan Programme of Doordarshan etc.
Farmers have been advised to adopt techniques such as in-situ moisture conservation, on farm water conservation, ridge furrow sowing, promoting suitable agronomic practices including mulching, inter cropping, mixed cropping, sowing of less water consuming crops etc.
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