Kharif Sowing

Kharif sowing gathers pace as monsoon improves, but acreage remains below last year amid weak rainfall concerns

Erratic monsoon rains have slowed kharif sowing in Rajasthan, leaving key crops below target and raising the risk of delayed planting and resowing

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said stronger July rains are expected to improve kharif sowing after a delayed monsoon affected crop planting

Total sowing of kharif crops, including paddy, declined to 350.85 lakh hectares, a 21 per cent decrease from 442.8 lakh hectares last year, agriculture ministry data showed on Monday, citing low rainfall amid delayed progress of the southwest monsoon. As per the data, paddy acreage is down by 13 per cent to 60.24 lakh hectares till July 6 in the ongoing kharif season compared with 69.3 lakh hectares last year. The pulses sowing has also declined to 37.15 lakh hectares from 47.49 lakh hectares last year, the data showed. The area under coverage for Shri Anna cumulative coarse cereals fell to 60.12 lakh hectares from 71.86 lakh hectares. Sowing area under oilseeds declined sharply to 66.31 lakh hectares from 109.27 lakh hectares last year, the data showed. Cotton sowing also dropped to 63.18 lakh hectares from 82 lakh hectares last year.

An active southwest monsoon is expected to accelerate kharif sowing after a weak June, helping narrow the rainfall deficit and support crop prospects

Above-normal monsoon this year has seen surge in kharif planting, driving up fertiliser demand, but heavy rains in northern states have also ruined standing crops, while floods have killed hundreds

In Rajasthan, the main crops grown during the monsoon season include pearl millet (bajra), moong, moth, groundnut, soybean, cotton, and guar (cluster beans)

Paddy sowing saw a 2.1 per cent increase, reaching 41 million hectares compared to the five-year average

Though the state has surpassed the paddy sowing target, it is yet to achieve the overall kharif crop sowing target for the season even as the sowing has come to a halt

Normal area is the average area for the last five years

Kharif plantation till July 5 over 14% higher than area covered during the same period last year

Supplies by the central government agencies in the coming weeks are expected to fill the demand-availability gap

Concerns in Karnataka, Maharashtra due to prolonged break in showers

The last 10-years average during the same period was 63 per cent of FRL

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Pulses, soybean, cotton still laggards; monsoon deficit in 40% of 717 districts

This gap may shrink as the monsoon gathers pace

Sowing of several major kharif crops, such as rice, arhar, soybean and cotton, continued to be below last year's level

Single superphosphate to be included in 'One Nation, One Fertiliser' scheme in the next few months

An estimated Rs 14,000 crore is expected to be injected into the rural economy of Uttar Pradesh through the procurement of paddy in the current 2022-23 kharif marketing season