Kharif sowing update: Cotton, soybean show slower progress than last year

In the case of soybeans, traders said that total acreage covered could be lower than last year as farmers have struggled to get adequate price for their crops due to unregulated imports of edible oils

Sowing of kharif crops continued at a brisk pace during the week ended July 11, except for soybeans and cotton, where acreage dropped compared to the year-ago period.

 

In the case of soybeans, traders said total acreage could fall short of last year’s levels, as farmers have struggled to get adequate prices due to unregulated imports of edible oils. The Indore-based Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) expects a 5 per cent drop in soybean acreage for the 2025 season due to two consecutive years of low market prices. SOPA believes farmers may be tempted to shift to alternative crops such as maize, cotton, or red gram.

 

Cotton acreage, too, is expected to decline due to repeated instances of pink bollworm and other pest attacks in northern and western India. However, some experts believe that with the monsoon gaining momentum in central and west India, sowing of cotton and soy might pick up in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

 

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the southwest monsoon has been 10 per cent above average at the all-India level, with cumulative rainfall at 302.6 millimetres against the normal of 275.7 millimetres between June 1 and July 13.

 

Overall, the total acreage of all kharif crops as of July 11 is nearly 7 per cent higher than last year due to bumper paddy sowing.