JODHPUR: Weak monsoon has wreaked havoc on the agriculture prospects in desert region. Seventy percent crops have failed in Jodhpur district due to the below average monsoon this year according to a survey conducted by the agriculture department.Confirming the damage, an agricultural official said that approximately 70% of the crops sown in the district in non-irrigated areas have failed.“But, the actual failure could be ascertained after a detailed girdwari report by the revenue department,” he said adding that it may be more or less.Total 13.50 lakh hectares of land is sown in the district during Kharif season. Of this, 4.50 lakh hectares are irrigated land, while the remaining 9 lakh hectares are non-irrigated land.With a good landing of monsoon this year, the farmers proceeded with sowing of crops like millet, groundnut, moong, til and cotton etc. in a huge manner.But, absence of follow up rains led to disappointment among the farmers as the crops started wilting. Finally, with no adequate rain in August and September, the agriculture department proceeded with a crop survey, which pegged the failure of crop to about 70%.The official said that the failure of crop will severely affect the production this year, which may shoot up the prices of the crops.According to the farmers, while the crops in irrigated areas are on the verge of harvest, fields in the non-irrigated areas present a miserably bleak picture with crops badly dried.Tulcharam Sivar from Bhartiya Kissan Sangh said that the failure of crops will badly affect both the farmers and the production, which will result in heavy losses to the farmers.“This is the right time that the government takes required steps for the relief of farmers. Otherwise, the farmers will sustain a severe setback,” he said.He further added that the farmers have already been bearing losses due to delay of the government in beginning purchasing of crops on increased MSP.“Registration process for purchase of Kharif crop began in neighbouring districts a month back but Rajasthan has not yet began with the process,” said Sivar demanding immediate steps.

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