The obvious signs of a delayed monsoon have created fear of a drought especially in the rain fed rice crop growing regions. However the government has asserted the farmers that the condition is farther away from it.

Speaking on the seemingly troublesome issue of the delayed monsoon, Sharad Pawar in a press conference held in New Delhi pacified the farmers that “the condition is not that bad and it would soon improve in the following week as the monsoon is expected to bring sufficient rains along with it”.

He has also assured that the rice crops are at no danger of drought as of now and there is no need to be worried about the production though there is a significant effect of the delay in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar where rice is sown a little earlier.

When questioned if there would be a decline in the total rice production this year pawar replied “The condition doesn't look so, and as the sowing area is the slightly higher, we can expect good production in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana and Chattisgarh.

India's rice production is much dependant on the monsoons abd this is clearly evident from the last year total rice production of 103.41 million tonnes of which over 90.75 million tonnes was produced in Kharif alone.

AW Anil