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Kharif on track despite hiccups

Surinder Sud / Mumbai July 4, 2008, 0:09 IST The early rains were expected to give some impetus to kharif sowing. But the initial momentum has been lost due to wavering government policies on agricultural commodities and the weakening monsoon. The pace of sowing has also reportedly been affected by other factors such as a shortage of migratory labour due to the employment guarantee programme, scarcity of phosphatic and potassic fertilisers in some pockets, and the problems faced by farmers in getting bank finance after the loan waiver move.