Not much growth in yield of most field crops

By Shezna Shums

The Department of Agriculture in its crop forecast for the Yala season of 2011 indicated that the agricultural output for paddy shows an increase in production in comparison to the previous year, but when it comes to other field crops and up country and low country vegetables, the crop yields are similar to the previous Yala season.

It stated that with regard to paddy, the cultivation progress of paddy up to end of June 2011 is 501,017 hectares – an 88 per cent achievement of the target.

The production forecast for the Yala season is 1.92 million metric tonnes of paddy, 15 per cent up from Yala 2010 – 39 per cent higher than the average Yala season of the past five years.

Total output for 2011 would be reduced by two per cent as against 2010. This is mainly attributed to the effects of recurrent floods during the Maha season.

The higher level of achievement is mainly due to the favourable water levels in the major irrigation schemes. Paddy production in the year 2011 would be about 4.22 million metric tonnes which is equivalent to 2.62 million metric tonnes of milled rice for human consumption. The annual per capita availability of rice would be 126 kg.

Domestic market prices of rice show a declining trend during the past few months and this would continue until August/September.

Other Field Crops

The cultivation progress of all OFCs from the total seasonal target is 50 per cent. However, when compared with the last season’s progress up to June, higher progress have been achieved in cultivation of maize, green gram, black gram, cowpea, soybean, red-onion and groundnut.

For OFCs, higher targets have been set for the Yala 2011 season. Cultivation progress up to end of June indicates that 50 per cent of the target has been achieved.

The forecast report records that for maize, a higher target has been set for the season (18,859 hectares) than the previous season and the cultivated extent is 7,710 hectares (41 per cent of the target) and the expected production is 19, 673 metric tonnes.

In the case of pulses, the target extents of green gram, black gram cowpea and soybean have increased by 38 per cent, 173 per cent, 206 per cent and 100 per cent compared to the previous season.

As against 2010, cultivation progress of green gram, black gram, cowpea and soy-bean has reported 75 per cent, 201 per cent, 140 per cent and 90 per cent growth respectively.

In the case of soybean cultivation, it has reached 2,677 hectares and 68 per cent of the area is reported from Mahaweli system H (1,829 hectares).

More than 60 per cent of the cowpea cultivation is reported from Ampara District (2,602) hectares.

Condiments

In the condiments section, it was noted that the target extents for red onion, big onion and chilli are 70 per cent higher than the area cultivated in the previous Yala season.

The cultivation progress of red onion, big onion and chilli is 53 per cent, 46 per cent and 59 per cent from the targets respectively.

The expected production of big onion, red onion, and chilli for the season is 37,120 metric tonnes, 30,941 metric tonnes and 13,632 metric tonnes respectively.

Oil crops

Under the oil crops section the cultivation of gingerly shows a higher achievement (95 per cent) from the target (9,102) hectares and 85 per cent of the cultivated area is reported from Anuradhapura District (7,368 hectares).

Total expected production of gingerly is 7,375 metric tonnes, while the cultivated extent of groundnut is 2,907 hectares – with Vauniya (511 hectares), Mullative (521 hectares) and Kurunegala (477 hectares) representing 52 per cent of the cultivated extent.

With regard to potato the target extent is 3,148 hectares and about three quarters of the target is expected from the Badulla District.

The progress up to the end of June 2011 indicates that only 10 per cent of the targets have been achieved and this is mainly due to the shift of the previous cultivation season.

Vegetables

The forecast report in the area of vegetables state that the cultivation progress of low country and up country vegetables is at 65 per cent and 42 per cent from targets, respectively.

A slight shift of the seasonal cultivation was observed in up-country vegetable growing areas and as a result, supply/price levels could deviate from the normal seasonal pattern.

Cultivation progress of up country vegetables as at end of June 2011 is 42 per cent from the targets and low country vegetable recorded an achievement of 65 per cent of the area that was targeted.

When compared with the average cultivation extent of Yala, the area cultivated in 2011 Yala does not show much deviation, except in the case of eggplant and tomato.

A delay in cultivation of upcountry of vegetables was reported due to the shift of the previous season, when crops were damaged by consecutive rounds of heavy rains.

Progress of capsicum, red pumpkin, snake gourd and cucumber show higher levels when compared with the seasonal averages and stands at 91 per cent, 107 per cent, 102 per cent and 96 per cent respectively. A slight deviation from normal seasonal supply could be expected during the Yala season but the overall production levels would remain around the same output of past seasons.

This report provides the forecast for food crop sector and it is based on the information provided by the Provincial Departments of Agriculture. The production forecast is based on the average yield of the past three seasons.