'Go slow' on sowing, MET advises farmers in Maharashtra as monsoon gets delayed

Even as farmers in the drought-hit Maharashtra have geared up for sowing operations, the weather department has issued a 'go slow' advisory as the much-awaited monsoon seems to have delayed its arrival in the state.

While asking farmers to go ahead with the tilling operations, the Agrimet section of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said actual sowing activity should be undertaken only after the onset of monsoon over Maharashtra to ensure that the seeds are not wasted for want of rains.

"Do not undertake sowing operations till the onset of monsoon which has not yet arrived in the state. It is necessary to have good monsoon rainfall consistently for a few days for the seeds to grow into a good crop," N Chattopadhyay, Deputy Director General Agrimet, IMD, told reporters.

The farmers in the state are advised not to start sowing operations till the IMD officially announces the arrival of monsoon in Maharashtra, he said.

The Agrimet advisory has been issued to avoid waste of expensive seeds, particularly of soyabean, cotton and pulses, in parched areas of Marathwada, Vidarbha and Madhya Maharashtra, some of which have, however, received pre-monsoon showers in the last few days.

After its delayed arrival in Kerala, the monsoon is now expected to hit Maharashtra only after June 16.