Jowar, wheat production up amid farm loan crisis

Mumbai: Even as both the houses are non-functional and rattled over the issue of farmer loan waiver, the state government claims that jowar production is 108 per cent higher than last year, while the production of wheat has risen by 43 per cent and maize by 19 per cent. The production has risen despite the area under cultivation for rabi crops down by five per cent as compared to last year. All these figures are from the state’s economic survey, which has also claimed that 24 districts in the state received normal rainfall, while there was no district with scanty rainfall.

According to the report released on Friday, the monsoons in Maharashtra arrived on June 18, 2016 in eastern Vidarbha region and it spread all over the state by June 21. During June, July, August, September and October, the state received 79.3 per cent, 107.7 per cent, 74 per cent. 115.1 per cent and 103.1 per cent rainfall respectively. “The total rainfall in the state during 2016 was 94.9 per cent of the normal,” the report states. Rainfall, was excess in five districts, while it was normal in 24 districts in 2016.