Monsoon to begin return journey from Rajasthan soon

Kharif crop acreage lags last year's

The monsoon has started showing signs of starting its return journey from Rajasthan in a couple of days, according to private weather forecaster Skymet.

The rains remained 6% below normal this season so far, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD). However, it was 23% below the long-period average for the week-ended September 7.

Though the monsoon might start withdrawing from Rajasthan, it would be active-to-vigorous over Goa, central Maharashtra, Sub-Himalayan regions, West Bengal and Sikkim, Skymet said. There would also be no relief for flood-hit Assam as rains would continue to lash the Northeast, it said.

Coverage under kharif crops till Friday remained slightly below last year’s, with only cotton and sugarcane bucking the trend.

Data issued by the agriculture ministry showed that acreage fell sub-one per cent to 104 million hectares till Friday, against 105 million hectares a year ago.

Cotton acreage rose to 12 million hectares against 10 million hectares over the period. Sugarcane cultivation increased, but the crop was largely a rabi one. Acreage of all other crops — rice, pulses, coarse cereals, oil seeds and jute — declined.

Though the share of agriculture has drastically come down in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) over the period, its importance has again re-surfaced after private investments in the country remained bleak.

GDP growth fell to 5.7% in the first quarter of 2017-18, the lowest in the first three years of the Narendra Modi government. Agriculture was one of the factors that pulled down growth. Farm and allied activities grew only 2.3% in the quarter, against 5.2% in the fourth quarter of 2016-17 and 6.9% in the third quarter of that year.

However, it should be noted that agriculture production was robust. But the farm sector’s growth rate declined due to subdued livestock.