Sowing area swells to 109.23 mn hectares but floods pose risk to yields

As of September 6, improved monsoon rainfall has boosted Kharif sowing to 109.23 million hectares, the data released by the Centre showed

The improved monsoon rainfall has increased the total sowing area of Kharif crops to 109.23 million hectares, up 2.16 per cent from last year, the data from the  Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare showed on Monday. This represents 99.86 per cent of the normal sowing area of 109.58 million hectares. ‘Normal sowing area’ is calculated based on averages from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

According to the report, Paddy sowing has reached 40.95 million hectares, 2 per cent above the normal and 4.06 per cent higher than last year. Sowing of coarse cereals or ‘Shree Anna’ also exceeded the normal by 4.37 per cent, reaching 18.87 million hectares. Pulses saw a 7.58 per cent increase to 12.62 million hectares, with Tur dal covering 4.57 million hectares.

The rise in paddy cultivation comes amid the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecasts of widespread rainfall in the country.

What does this mean for harvest?

The expansion of cultivated land offers a promising outlook for the agricultural sector, with nearly all crops now sown. However, persistent heavy rainfall in certain regions of India presents a serious threat to overall yields in the weeks ahead. Widespread flooding in states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has already caused significant crop damage. The full scope of the destruction will only become clear following a comprehensive evaluation, which is set to be conducted by the central government.

During his visit to flood-affected Andhra Pradesh, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said last week that flooding has affected 200,000 farmers and damaged crops across 180,000 hectares. He said crops (including paddy and chilli) and household items were heavily damaged in flood-hit Telangana. The officials have begun evaluating damage assessment work after which the Centre “will provide all possible support,” he said.