Kharif sowing picks up pace but acreage gap still remains big enough

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

Sowing of kharif crops picked up during the week ended July 10, narrowing the year-on-year gap in acreage to 16 per cent from nearly 21 per cent a week earlier as the southwest monsoon gathered pace.

 

However, the shortfall remains significant enough to raise concerns over its impact on the final kharif harvest.

 

The concern is heightened as the rains have paused after a vigorous spell and, according to the latest forecast from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the southwest monsoon is unlikely to gather much pace over the next six to seven days.

 

“Subdued rainfall activity is likely over the plains of northwest India and over west-central and south Peninsular India during the next six to seven days,” the IMD said in a forecast issued on Monday.

   

Sowing data showed acreage under all major kharif crops — pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds, cotton and paddy — remained below last year's level as of July 10, though the gap narrowed considerably from July 5.

 

The area under paddy, the main kharif foodgrain, was around 9 per cent lower than a year ago as of July 10. This should help ensure a healthy paddy harvest, but the bigger concern remains pulses and oilseeds.

 

Area under pulses was 23.3 per cent lower than a year ago, while coarse cereals lagged by 22.5 per cent. Oilseeds acreage stood at 11.78 million hectares, down 21 per cent year-on-year, while cotton acreage was 15.3 per cent lower than in the corresponding period last year.

 

Meanwhile, water levels in all 166 reservoirs monitored by the government improved during the week ended July 9 as the southwest monsoon continued to bring rain to parts of western and southern India.

 

Water levels in the 53 reservoirs across western India were 48 per cent above the 10-year average. Overall, storage across the 166 reservoirs remained below last year’s level but above the 10-year average. Reservoir storage rose to 32.38 per cent of live capacity at full reservoir level as of July 9 from 26 per cent a week earlier.