By IANS,
New Delhi: There is no reason to panic over the inadequate rains in the country for the meteorological department has predicted good monsoon in August, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said Saturday.
Replying to a special discussion on drought conditions in the country in the Lok Sabha, Pawar said except paddy crop, whose area of cultivation had fallen drastically, the figures for rest of the major crops in the country were comparable to the corresponding period last year.
He said wheat cultivation of 252 lakh tonnes this year had crossed all-time records.
“For the first time after Independence, there has been such cultivation of wheat,” Pawar said.
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are among the states which have contributed in this, the minister said.
Similarly, Pawar said, the rice harvest of 319 lakh tonnes was “also unprecedented”.
However, he conceded that a reduction of over 6 million hectares of land under paddy cultivation was a matter of concern. He added that measures would be taken to tackle this.
But the agriculture minister said there was no need to push the panic button for the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted “101 percent rain in August” as against 82 percent in July.
Pawar said a view would be taken of the situation after August and future course of action would be decided.
The minister said the country was stocked up with wheat and rice to last 13 months and there was not much to worry.
There was also a back-up of 15 lakh tonnes seeds for alternative cropping and all the states had been earmarked funds for them under the National Agricultural Development Schemes.