Maharashtra: Good rainfall accelerates Kharif sowing; planting completed on 1.20 lakh hectares; cotton acreage likely to increase
Good rainfall in early July has accelerated Kharif season sowing in Maharashtra's Akola district. According to the Agriculture Department, sowing has been completed on approximately 120,000 hectares out of the district's total cultivable area of 432,010 hectares. Last year, Kharif crops were sown across a total area of 431,884 hectares in the district.
This year, farmers are showing a strong preference for cotton cultivation. Agriculture officials state that the optimal window for sowing Moong (green gram) and Urad (black gram) has passed; sowing these crops now carries the risk of reduced yields or crop failure. Consequently, most farmers have prioritized cotton cultivation. Approximately 30 percent of the cotton sowing in the district is already complete, and a significant increase in total cotton acreage is anticipated this year.
Rainfall data for the district shows that Telhara Taluka recorded the highest rainfall at 191.7 mm. This was followed by Akot (161.3 mm), Patur (141.9 mm), Murtijapur (132.9 mm), Barshitakli (124.9 mm), Balapur (111.9 mm), and Akola Taluka (95 mm). The district's average rainfall has been recorded at 132.2 mm.
The Agriculture Department has advised farmers to avoid sowing Moong and Urad now, as the favorable period for these crops has elapsed. The department notes that sowing at this stage offers a very low probability of achieving expected yields. Particularly in the Telhara and Patur regions, delays in initial rainfall and sowing have forced many farmers to alter their original cropping plans and switch to cotton cultivation. Although sowing operations across the district are progressing rapidly, the process has been hampered in parts of Akot, Telhara, and Patur talukas due to continuous heavy rainfall. Sowing work has currently stalled in several locations within the low-lying areas of Patur due to waterlogging and excessive soil moisture.
