Kharif sowing slower than last year

The delayed monsoon has started showing its impact on the sowing process of the kharif crop in the country. Though the sowing has accelerated in the last fortnight, the cropped area is less than what it was during the same time last year.

The area brought under cultivation of coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds and cash crops has registered a decline in acreage so far. The major kharif crops which are lagging behind include paddy, bajra, jowar, maize, moong, oilseeds, sugarcane and jute. According to commodity experts, rainfall pattern in the coming week is important as crop size will depend on how monsoon behaves.