Area under kharif crops half of 2013's

Sowing of major kharif crops has taken a dip across the country as the southwest monsoon, the lifeline of millions of farmers, continued its less-than-satisfactory run. With about two-and-a-half months remaining before the rains start retreating from the mainland, farmers remain a worried lot.

Data from the department of agriculture showed till Friday, kharif crops have been sown in 25.66 million hectares, about half the area covered during the same period last year.

More importantly, this is 35 per cent less than normal area - which is the average area sown in the past five years. "Practically, this means farmers are not sowing crops in the fields earmarked for the same, leave around bringing any additional area under crops," a senior official said.

Sowing of paddy, pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds and cotton has suffered the most. In fact, in cotton acreage was 57 per cent less than last year in Gujarat and 75 per cent less in Maharashtra. The two states contribute over 80 per cent to India's total annual cotton production. Monsoon rainfall till July 9 was almost 83 per cent less than normal in Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat, andit is over 60 per cent less than normal in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra, the zones where cotton is mainly grown.

"Gujarat could become the driest state in India this year, as rains in the state has been delayed beyond repair," private weather forecasting company Skymet said.

Overall, the Southwest monsoon across the country till July 10 was 43 per cent below normal, worse than 2009 when India suffered one of its worst droughts that affected about 200 districts. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, rainfall till July 8 in 2009 was around 36 per cent less than normal. Total rainfall in 2009 after the end of the four-month southwest monsoon season was deficient by 22 per cent. However, this year there is some hope on the horizon, as weathermen say rains could show some revival over central and western parts of the country, including Gujarat.

Patchy rainfall this year is also having an adverse impact on the water levels in 85 important reservoirs across the country. Till July 10, water levels in the storages were 36.49 billion cubic meters, which was just 24 per cent of their full capacity. Water in most reservoirs across western, central and southern parts of the country was below last year's level.

The government's annual Economic Survey tabled in Parliament last week said there was a 71 per cent chance of rains being below normal in 2014. IMD in its June forecast had scaled down rainfall in 2014 to 93 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), from 95 per cent in April - both below-normal. Skymet, too, has raised the probability of drought this year to 60 per cent as against its earlier forecast of 25 per cent.