Agriculturists in the Doon Valley have plenty to celebrate this year. With the entire belt receiving exceptionally well-distributed rains during the monsoon season, the forecast for the next rabi (winter) crop is very encouraging.

A former senior official from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), Gobind Ballabh Raturi, told The Indian Express, “Farmers in the Doon Valley can look forward to a good rabi crop. Thanks to the successful monsoon, the region is likely to witness good mustard, wheat and vegetable crops over the next few months.”

The Doon Valley is known for its high-yielding agricultural belt, starting from Vikasnagar in the north to Rishikesh in the south. The rabi crops that are grown here include wheat, mustard and vegetables, with peas being the most important cash crop.

The director of the Meteorological Department in Dehradun, Dr Anand Sharma says, “The most interesting feature of this year’s monsoon has been that the rains were well spread. The distribution was very good. During the months of June, July and September, there was good rainfall every week. Despite there being a slight lull in September, the Valley did receive rains and a small Western Disturbance is likely to bring showers till October 9.” He added that the moisture levels in the soil are very high, making it ideal for sowing the rabi crop.

Giving details about the rainfall pattern, Dr Sharma disclosed that during this monsoon season, stretching from June to September, the Doon valley has received 2,240 mm of rainfall. The average figure for the state of Uttarakhand stood at 1,199 mm.

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