These APMCs handle about 8.27 crore quintals of agricultural produces with an annual turnover of Rs 7,000 crore. The health of about 40 APMCs are good as they are making profits. The Ahmedabad APMC, one of the oldest and the best managed, has accumulated `permanent funds' of over Rs 12 crore since its inception in 1947. The Gujarat State Board with Rameshbhai Dhadhuk as its chairman is known to be taking a pro-active role in increasing the efficiency of APMCs and in overall modernisation of the farm sector.

With a view to bring different agencies working in the farm sector, the State Board has convened a meeting of representatives of state departments of agriculture and co-operation, besides all the APMCs, at the state capital in the weekend to discuss how best to utilise the surplus funds in tackling drought.

According to board's managing director Dinesh Brahmabhat, it was about time the market yards join the government efforts in mitigating the spectre of droughts.

Droughts are known to hit the state at an average interval of once every third year. Some year they are more severe than other years. Fortunately, the state did not face any severe drought since 1993.

On the other hand, it faced droughts for three years in succession from 1984-85 to 1986-97.

Unlike Richter scale to measure earthquakes, there is no scientific basis to judge the severity of droughts. The prevailing method is to make a wild estimate of standing crops. Areas having less than four-anna (25 per cent) of the target are called scarcity-hit and those having four-six (27 to 37 per cent) are called semi-scarcity hit areas.

As per the latest estimate of the Gujarat government submitted to the centre on April 24, about 9,400 out of a total 18,000-odd villages in the state are facing scarcity or semi-scarcity conditions. The number is likely to increase during the height of summer.

In Gujarat, the crop failure is more pronounced in kharif season as nearly 70 per cent of the kharif crops are grown in rain-fed areas, whenever there is cognisable shortfall in rain.

The crop-wise failure (in percentage within brackets) for major crops is estimated to be rice (18), kharif pulses (35), bajri (60), maize (25), groundnut (60), castor (45), sesame (55), cotton (30), wheat (35), gram (60) and rape/mustard (20).

As is the case in most of the semi-arid regions elsewhere in the country, it is not just the crop failure but the shortfall in rainfall that makes the life really miserable for the people - water being more scarce a commodity than foodgrains, oilseeds or even fruits and vegetables.

Other commodities can be brought from different regions to keep the prices under control. But, transporting water, being a cheaper commodity till now, becomes prohibitive.

A comparative study of the prices of even fresh vegetables at the wholesale yards at APMCs show that there is no alarming variation in their prices over a period of two months. Rather, in certain case, the prices have fallen.

The prices of major vegetables per quintal in April last week (with that in February last week within brackets are: cabbage Rs 400-500 (400-450), cauliflower Rs 400-600 (400-700), bitter gourd Rs 800-1,400 (1,000-1,600), green chilli Rs 600-800 (700-1,000), the exceptions being tomato Rs 400-600 (200-500) and lemon Rs 1,500-2,000 (750-1,000).

The prices of vegetables which are traded all over the country have marginal of no variations, like potato Rs 195-265 (190-230), onion Rs 155-275 (155-275), ginger Rs 2250-2550 (2,150-2,350).

Drought or scarcity situation is linked to crop failure due to shortfall in rain. In Gujarat, the western most peninsula of Saurashtra & Kutch (S&K) and districts bordering Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are more prone to drought, as monsoon clouds often fly past these semi-arid regions. Curiously enough, cyclones often indirectly help raise the sub-surface water tables in semi-arid regions, notwithstanding the widespread destruction they cause. In a way, Gujarat was partially saved of drought-like situation due to cyclones in June 1997 and again in May 1998 (remembered for destruction of Kandla and other ports).

And, for obvious reasons, all the state government efforts to mitigate the spectre of drought is concentrated in maintaining the water supply and fodder for cattle.