While the monsoons have helped the kharif crop, any extra rains through September and October could adversely impact the standing crop, while a harsh winter due to La Nina could affect perishables
The county's kharif foodgrain production is likely to surpass the government's target of 171.39 million tonne set for the 2025-26 crop year (July-June) buoyed by higher coverage and favourable monsoon rains, Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh said on Monday. Despite lower coverage, the prospects for oilseeds and pulses crops remain positive as productivity is expected to be higher due to good crop conditions, he said. Speaking to PTI, Singh said damage to crops due to flood and heavy rainfall was minimal compared to the overall sown area in the kharif season. "The crop condition is good and the overall (kharif foodgrain) production will be more than the targets that we have kept for this year," Singh said on the sidelines of a conference organised by the Biological Agri Solutions Association of India (BSAI). Kharif crops coverage has exceeded that of previous years, rising to more than 110 million hectares from the usual 109.5 million hectares in recent years, driven by increased .
Total area sown to paddy rose marginally by 2 per cent to 438.51 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing 2025-26 kharif (summer) season, but oilseeds acreage was lagging behind, according to agriculture ministry data released on Monday. Paddy, the main kharif crop, was sown in about 430.06 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. The sowing began with the onset of southwest monsoon in June. As per the ministry data, pulses acreage grew slightly to 118.06 lakh hectare, as against 117.25 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. However, tur and moong acreage was lagging behind. In case of oilseeds, the total area was lagging behind at 188.81 lakh hectare as against 193.93 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Soybean and sesamum acreage remained lower so far in the ongoing kharif season. However, area sown to coarse cereals rose marginally to 192.91 lakh hectare so far this year, from 180.75 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Among cash crops, sugarcane acreage was slightly higher at 57.31 lak
Normal acreage is the average area covered in the last five years
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
Clarification comes amid concerns of a massive shortage of urea and DAP across India
An increase in monsoon activity and resultant humidity has seen a significant proliferation of pests and viruses across states and crops, leading to greater application of chemicals
Better prices above MSP, coupled with demand from ethanol producers for their fuel-blending programme, are pushing the popularity of maize
Price of raw materials used by local players has not spiked
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says crop-wise reviews will begin with soybean in MP as kharif sowing surges 10 per cent above last year's acreage
The rains have now become vigorous over the main pulses and oilseeds growing in the central and western parts of the country which should further assist in their early planting
With the southwest monsoon expected to pick up pace in the coming weeks, sowing should gather more steam
With the weather expected to turn cold in north India and a forecast of mild showers, it should augur well for the standing crop
The report said that region-wise farm profitability in the northern belt was expected to be relatively better than in the southern belt, while the eastern and western belts presented a mixed bag
Sowing for most crops is complete, and the final harvest of some is either entering or about to enter the markets in the coming weeks, traders said
The Punjab government's crop diversification drive has helped the state increase basmati cultivation area by 12.58 per cent during this kharif season, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said on Sunday. The cultivation of long-grain rice has expanded to 6.71 lakh hectares currently, a significant increase from 5.96 lakh hectares during the previous kharif season, the minister said. Giving district-wise statistics of basmati cultivation, Khudian said that Amritsar led the way with 1.46 lakh hectares dedicated to this aromatic rice. Following Amritsar were Muktsar with 1.10 lakh hectares, Fazilka with 84.9 thousand hectares, Tarn Taran with 72.5 thousand hectares, and Sangrur with 49.8 thousand hectares, showcasing maximum basmati cultivation in these districts. The state agriculture minister also highlighted a substantial 46.5 per cent growth in the area under Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) compared to the previous year. The area cultivated using the ...
70% of guar comes from Rajasthan, rain may hit the crop
Data showed that till August 9, kharif crops had been sown in around 98 million hectares, 1.39 per cent more compared to the same period last year
Kharif sowing of all crops is over in almost 74 per cent of the normal area, which is the average area covered in the last five years
Normal area is the average area for the last five years