Paddy planting slightly delayed this year due to late monsoon

However, most parts of the country are expected to receive good rains in July-August: IMD

The planting of paddy in the ongoing kharif season this year has been slightly delayed across the country due to late monsoon.

Though monsoon rains arrived four days late in Kerala on June 5 and are yet to pick up steam due to a string of atmospheric storms in the south-east Asian region which had affected the monsoon current.

However, most parts of the country are expected to receive good rains in July-August, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

"It is reported that planting (of paddy) has been slightly delayed but nursery preparation under irrigated conditions is in progress," an Agriculture Ministry statement said today.

So far, farmers have planted paddy in 18.7 lakh hectare and less sowing has been reported in case of other kharif crops, it said.

Farmers have sown oilseeds in 3.13 lakh hectare, coarse cereals in 5.59 lakh hectares, cotton in 21 lakh hectares and sugarcane planting has been done in 51.52 lakh hectares so far in the 2012-13 crop year (July-June).

The sowing of Kharif crops like paddy, pulses and oilseeds begins from April but gains momentum after the onset of South-West monsoon, crucial for the country's trillion- dollar economy which depends largely on rain-fed agriculture.

Due to good monsoon last year, the country is estimated to have harvested a record 252.56 million tonnes of foodgrains.