Area cultivated under green gram has increased sharply by 89 per cent to 7.51 lakh hectare so far in the ongoing zaid season and good moisture due to recent rains is expected to boost the crop growth, Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh said on Monday.
In zaid season, also called 'grishma kal', crops are sown between March and May, the intervening period between rabi (winter) harvest and kharif (monsoon) sowing."Recent rains have improved soil moisture which will boost the crop prospects. This will help increase the production of green gram during zaid season," Singh told PTI.
Rice has been planted in 26.48 lakh hectare area, while sesame seeds in 3.76 lakh hectare so far, he said. Total area under zaid crops has increased marginally to 53 lakh hectare so far in the current zaid season of 2022-23 crop year (July-June), as against 52 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, he added. Pulses, oilseeds and cereals are cultivated during zaid season. Farmers with irrigation source are growing rice and vegetables during this season.
The government is encouraging farmers to take zaid crops in order to increase income of farmers and also create employment opportunities in between rabi and kharif seasons for farmers, thereby increasing the crop intensity.
