AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

AGRICULTURAL SEASONS

Owing to inadequate irrigation facilities most of the crops are dependent on monsoon. Kharif (early monsoon) crops which claimed nearly 99 per cent, of the gross cropped area in 1955-56, are brought to maturity by the rains of south-west monsoon which commences in June and terminates in October. The ante-monsoon showers in the second fortnight of May help the cultivators to proceed with sowing of paddy for its seedling, which is the main crop of this district. Nagli, kodra and varai are also taken on a substantial scale. Cultivators begin to prepare the soil for transplanting paddy, nagli, and varai either late in June or early in July. Pulse crops are also taken in this season. Sowing of pluse crops like horsegram (kulthi), black gram (udid), small fruited dolichos (chavli) etc., is done in July i.e., immediately after the transplanting of paddy. Harvesting of paddy commences in the last week of September and is continued till November. Pulses are also harvested either by the end of November or early in December.

Rabi (late monsoon) crops occupied hardly one per cent, of the gross cropped area. The season during which very little rain is received commences from the middle of October and terminates in the middle of February. Paddy and some pulse crops like horse- gram (kulthi), large fruited dolichos (wal) etc. are grown in a few places. They are sown either in November or in December. Paddy cultivation is largely restricted to southern parts where it is taken as an irrigated crop where irrigation facilities are available. It is transplanted in January and harvested some time in April. Pulse crops are taken as dry crops.

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