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Dhimant Bhatt

Mumbai , July 4

KHARIF sowing is expected to begin this week in Gujarat, and about 15 per cent of the pre-monsoon sowing will have to be replanted, an official of the Department of Agriculture of the State said.

Reports say about 80,000 hectares have been covered under the pre-monsoon sowing of groundnut and cotton crop, which is 25-30 per cent of the total kharif acreage of these two crops. Of this, the damage percentage may possibly be lower.

"We have not received any official data, but rough estimate says about 15 per cent of the total pre-monsoon sowing that took place last month might require replanting," an official said.

Last season, total acreage of about 37 lakh hectares was covered under the kharif season 2004, as on July 4, because of early rains in June.

"The effects of heavy rains recorded over the past ten days are wearing out and there are reports of sunshine in some parts of Saurashtra," an official said.

"I think we have still two weeks for sowing," he said.

All the districts of the State, except two districts in Kutch, have registered almost 70 per cent of the season's rainfall over the past one week. Total average rainfall in the State is 619 mm against the average normal rainfall of 863 mm recorded in the past 10 years.

"There are reports of sunshine in the past two-three days in some parts of Saurashtra. It will help farmers go for groundnut sowing. In my opinion, excess to heavy rainfall was recorded in south Gujarat, not in the groundnut producing areas especially the Saurashtra region," Mr B.V. Patel, an oilseed trader and ex-president of the Solvent Extractors' Association told Business Line.

"If sunny weather continues for another two to three days, I think groundnut sowing will begin in the next 5-6 days. However, sowing is already delayed by about seven-ten days because of excess rains in the region," Mr Patel said.

Average rainfall in the groundnut producing districts, including Junagadh, Jamnagar, Amerali and Bhavnagar, was 476 mm over the past 10 days against the season's average of 743 mm - up 65 per cent, officials said.

Total groundnut acreage in the State was 62.03 lakh hectares during the kharif season 2004 and sowing was completed on July 19.

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