Delayed monsoon agricultural growth

The Monsoon is finally here but was delayed by more than two weeks; the Meteorological Department predicts Monsoon rains at 93% of normal this year. What impact will this have on agricultural growth? The dry Almatti Reservoir, took care of the irrigation needs of farmers in Bijapur, Bagalkot, Gulbarga, Bidar, and Raichur districts of Karnataka. Built across the Krishna River, the reservoir depends on Monsoon rains in the Western Ghats to fill up :



Businessworld reports that while agriculture’s contribution to GDP has been falling, at 18% now it can still upset the applecart. For every 1% drop in agricultural GDP, 18 basis points are deducted from overall GDP growth rates. According to a senior official in the agriculture ministry, agriculture growth of 0.5 to 1 per cent is being anticipated against the targeted 4 per cent. “If agriculture growth fails, no sector can compensate it to achieve the 6-7 per cent GDP target, since it will directly affect the purchasing power both in rural and urban India,” the offical says.

But others are not so pessimistic. Anil Jain of Jain Irrigation Systems told moneycontrol: "It is a matter of concern but it is still not time to panic because lot of farmers have still not sown a lot of seeds of whatever crops they wanted to do. And even if rains come within let us say two-weeks maximum, then still good amount of output will come and the impact may be only about 5-10% depending on whatever the crop shifting takes place.

For example let us say in Maharashtra lot of farmers are going for cotton. If the rains don’t come for the next 2-3 weeks especially dry land farmers, they will try and do some sunflower, urad or any other short crops."