42% less than last year
AMN
The sowing of Rabi crops including Cumin, gram in Gujarat has seen a considerable decline during the current year. According to the data released by the state agriculture department, only 7.89 lakh hectare area in all have been sown with various Rabi crops this year against the 13.70 lakh hectares up to the same period last year, which indicates the decline of 42 per cent.
Out of the total sown area, North Gujarat has the maximum of 3.38 lakh hectare, Central Gujarat 2.45 lakh hectare, South Gujarat 1.22 lakh hectare while Saurashtra has the minimum of 0.73 lakh hectare. Though the rabi crops completely depend on irrigation water yet indirectly it has to depend on monsoon rain which decides the water storage available for irrigation.
Notably, Gujarat had received only 76 percent of its average rain during the current monsoon. Kutch region had seen only 26 percent of total rainfall. Gujarat government has so far announced 51 talukas completely drought hit while 45 others partially affected