During last year i.e. 1999-00, the shortfall in rainfall was about 26 per cent while during
the year 2000-01 it was about 38 per cent. During the monsoon-2000, all the districts of the state have received less than its annual normal rainfall. As a result of this, several parts of the state has to face scarcity conditions. Against the normal annual rainfall of the districts in the State, the districts like Ahmedabad, Jamnagar and Kachchh have received 71 to 80 per cent , Patan, Porbandar, Surat and Surendranagar districts have received 61 to 70 per cent, Amreli, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, The Dangs, Junagadh, Kheda, Mehsana, Rajkot and Sabarkantha districts have received 51 to 60 per cent, Anand,

Dohad, Gandhinagar, Narmada, Panchmahals and Vadodara districts have received less than 50 per cent of normal rainfall. Not only this, the most of the assured rainfall districts of south Gujarat region have also received less than its annual normal rainfall, which has affected the production prospects of kharif crops. In addition to this, area under rabi crops will also be decreased, due to depletion of underground water and empty reservoirs. Subsequently the production of rabi crops will also be decreased.
The production of cotton during the year 1999-00 was estimated at 20.86 lakh bales
(each of 170 kgs.) as against 39.03 lakh bales, in 1998-99. The production of total oil seeds during 1999-00 was estimated at 17.28 lakh tonnes, which is 55.4 per cent lower than that in 1998-99 (38.78 lakh tonnes).