Kharif sowing down 8.7% on monsoon delay

Centre to increase MGNREGA days from 100 to 150 in drought-hit districts

Delayed arrival of the monsoon, along with its uncertain run so far over much of central and northern parts of the country has disturbed the sowing of kharif crops, mainly coarse cereals and cotton.

Sowing of kharif crops as on June 12, is almost 8.71 per cent less than the same period last year at 7.51 million hectares, with the maximum impact on coarse cereals and cotton, mainly grown in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bihar.

In total, kharif crops are sown on 105.06 million hectares during the season. Data from the Department of Agriculture show paddy has been planted on 0.47 million hectares, up from 0.45 million hectares planted in the year-ago period.

Pulses have been sown on 0.24 million hectares, down from 0.27 million hectares. In total, the crop is planted on 10.81 million hectares.

Officials said a strong push to sowing of kharif crops will come if monsoon reaches central and northern parts of the country on time, which is expected to be around end of June. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday the country received 36.4 millimeters of rainfall between June 1 and 10, which is almost near the normal of 36.2 millimeters.

However, monsoon in the northwest parts of the country — which includes the key grain-producing states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan — has been around 13 per cent below normal in the first 10 days. In Central India, which comprises Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, it has been 31 per cent below normal.

The Met department said that in the week ended June 10, rainfall intensity went down slightly and showers were around five per cent below normal, mainly due to Cyclone Ashobaa.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Jason Nicholls said though monsoon has arrived, drought would be a problem across much of the country and in Pakistan this season.

“A developing El Niño is expected to lead to below-normal rainfall across much of India this monsoon season with northwestern India and Pakistan likely the driest,” said Nicholls.

Far southern and northeastern India might be the only areas to reach normal rainfall totals during the 2015 monsoon season, he added.

The southwest monsoon reached Mumbai on Friday. Regular rainfall was expected only in four or five days, Mumbai Regional Meteorological Centre's director-general V K Rajeev told PTI.