BackKharif sowing completed in 85% of normal area
An area of over 89 million hectares has been sown against the normal sowing area of 105 million hectares
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New Delhi: Planting of monsoon-dependent kharif crops has entered the final phase and sowing has been completed in 85% of the normal area, farm ministry data showed on Friday.
An area of over 89 million hectares has been sown against the normal sowing area of 105 million hectares.
Till Friday, the southwest monsoon which irrigates over half of India’s farmland recorded a deficit of 9% of the long-period average. For the June-September season, the India Meteorological Department has predicted a 12% deficit.
So far 64% of the country has received normal or excess rainfall while 36% recorded deficient rainfall. According to the government forecaster, India will receive only 84% of the 50-year average rainfall in the second half (August-September) of the monsoon season. This could possibly dent hopes of higher sowing of crops like pulses and oilseeds.
On Wednesday, the cabinet committee on economic affairs approved several measures to mitigate the damage caused by deficient rainfall. The ₹ 300-crore package includes diesel subsidy for protective irrigation and additional subsidies for resowing, horticulture and fodder crops.
Till now, the monsoon deficit is most pronounced in Maharashtra, ranging between 30% and 46% of the long-period average. Also, parts of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are dealing with deficit showers.
Ministry data show that rice, the main kharif crop, has been planted in 30 million hectares, higher than the 28.8 million hectares sown by this time last year. Sowing of rice so far is 77% of the seasonal (normal) area of 38.8 million hectares. Pulses have been sown in 9.7 million hectares, compared with the 8.7 million hectares sown by this time last year. As on date, the area under pulses is nearly 90% of the normal area of 10.8 million hectares.
Similarly, oilseeds have been sown in 16.4 million hectares, nearly 90% of the normal area of 18.2 million hectares. And coarse cereals have been sown so far in 16.4 million hectares, over 81% of the normal area.
Sowing of cotton and sugarcane is nearing completion, but there may be a dip in the acreage under cotton due to falling prices. So far, the fibre crop has been sown in 10.8 million hectares, lower than the 11.7 million hectares sown by this time last year.
However, planting of sugarcane is higher than last year’s numbers. An area of 4.88 million hectares has been sown with cane, higher than the 4.71 million hectares sown by this time last year, and marginally above the normal area of 4.84 million hectares. The higher acreage of cane is despite the ₹ 15,400 crore that mills owe farmers, due to a slump in the price of sugar.
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