Kharif crop sowing contracts for 2nd straight week: Report

Sowing of pulses, oilseeds, rice and coarse cereals contracted for second consecutive week in the country owing to deficient rainfall in various parts of the country, says a report.
As per an analysis by global brokerage firm Morgan Stanley, deficient rains in part of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and southern interior Karnataka has continued to affect acreage under pulses, oilseeds, rice and coarse cereals, as on August 25.
"The rainfall deficit remained at 5 per cent for a second week. Cropped area affected by deficient rainfall increased further to 37.8 per cent from 33.5 per cent earlier," Morgan Stanley said in the report.

"With persistent deficient rains, sowing activity contracted for a second week, albeit at a slower pace of 0.6 per cent year-on-year from a previous decline of 0.8 per cent year-on-year," it added.
However, it noted that cotton sowing continued to post strong growth, reflecting the continued shift away from rain-fed crops like pulses and oilseeds toward cotton sowing.
The brokerage said that while rainfall has improved in the last three days, tracking above normal, but has not managed to offset deficient rainfalls over the last two weeks.
So far this season, 95.8 per cent of the full-season area has been cultivated -- largely similar to that of last year.

Besides, water storage levels of the 91 major reservoirs improved to 51 per cent this week versus 48 per cent of their capacity in the previous week.