Now Reading: Karnataka green gram yield to drop 30% on rain deficit and disease
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Karnataka green gram yield to drop 30% on rain deficit and disease
Green gram yields in north Karnataka are expected to fall by 25-30% this kharif season, hit by a 35% rainfall deficit, yellow mosaic disease, pest attacks and delayed pod formation. The crop…
Green gram yields in north Karnataka are expected to fall by 25-30% this kharif season, hit by a 35% rainfall deficit, yellow mosaic disease, pest attacks and delayed pod formation. The crop was sown in only 2 lakh hectares of a planned 4.5 lakh-hectare target across the state's green gram belt, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura and Yadgir.
Farmers report yields dropping to 300 kg per hectare from the usual 500 kg, while open market prices of about Rs 7,500 per quintal remain well below the MSP of Rs 8,780. Government procurement centres have not yet opened, forcing growers to sell at a loss to raise cash for rabi sowing. The agriculture department has intensified pest control advisories, but scientists say the damage from moisture stress and disease is already substantial.
Other pulse and oilseed crops including black gram, soybean and groundnut have also come under stress from erratic weather. These districts together contribute over 60% of Karnataka's total green gram output.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Green gram is Karnataka's second most important pulse after tur, grown mostly on rain-fed land. The 35% rainfall deficit this kharif compounds a pattern: North Karnataka has received below-normal rain in three of the last five years. The delayed opening of procurement centres is a recurring complaint despite the MSP being Rs 8,780 per quintal. The state government's rabi sowing season starts in October, farmers need cash now for inputs. The agriculture department's awareness campaigns are unlikely to arrest the 25-30% yield loss already baked in by flowering-stage pest damage. The first market arrivals in Dharwad mandi this week will show whether prices stabilise or sink further below MSP.
Source: deccanherald.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
