Water paucity leads to drop in summe ..Read more
Pune: The district agriculture office recorded belowaverage summer sowing because of water shortage in 13 tehsils of Pune district. Sowing took place on 9,110 hectare (ha) against the average sowing of 11,094 ha, dropping to 82%. In this period, farmers mainly sowed bajra, groundnuts and maize. The area under groundnut had reduced significantly in the district and was sown on 48.4 ha against the average of
191.5 ha.
District agriculture officer Sanjay Kachole told TOI, “Summer sowing happens in Jan and Feb. Farmers reap
the harvest before the monsoon. Sowing in summer months mainly depends on water sources. Farmers avoid the activity if they do not have a dependable source of water. This year, the situation is grim since there was barely any water in many tehsils in March, forcing tillers to avoid going ahead with the crops in the district.”
