Last year was by far the best in both the area and the production (under gram) when the production was 20.74 lakh tonne in the total area of 28.16 lakh hectare. The record area, which covered the gram, was due to widespread rains in the months of October and November.

But this year the position is just the opposite as in the month of October the state has had scanty rains. Much depends on the behaviour of monsoon (of rains) next month. Indications are that the rains will not be much in November.

This year the total area under gram may be not more than 20 lakh hectare as against 28.16 lakh hectare last year. The target fixed by the department was however 15 lakh hectare. The per hectare production gram in Rajasthan is put at around 8 quintals.

In India gram is produced in large quantities in Madhya Pradesh followed by Rajasthan. The department has taken steps to motivate farmers to take more areas under gram and some success in this respect has also been achieved.

At present, the crop is sown all over the state, barring certain districts in the western region where rains are scanty. The department is hopeful that some new varieties of seeds may be developed in the near future suitable for the western region.

Gram is fetching a price in the range of Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,200 per quintal in Rajasthan, but the traders feel that the price may be much more in the near future due to sizable fall in the production. The new crop should hit the mandies from February 2000.

The sowings have started in right earnest in the areas where the irrigation is available. But this year even the wells have less water due to failure of rains. The rainfall is down by about 16 per cent on an average in the state.

``We have given the best variety of certified seeds of gram to the farmers and there is no shortage of the same,'' says a top source in the department.

He denied that the farmers have faced the shortage of seeds. Even fertilisers have been made available to the farmers all over the state.