As monsoon shows some early positive sign, farmers have started sowing kharif crops in some places ahead of the actual advent of rains. Officials said though there is no conclusive proof, but it might be possible that sowing of main kharif crops has started ahead of schedule because of early indications of normal rains.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted a normal monsoon in its first official forecast for the 2010 season.
Latest report indicates that the south-west monsoon has entered Andaman and Nicobar islands and could reach Kerala coast by May 30 or 31.
According to the latest data from the agriculture ministry, till May 28, rice plantation has been down by around 6% to 337,000 hectares this kharif season from 361,000 hectares in the same period last year. ?Though the initial reports indicate that rice acreage is slightly down, but we are quite sure that sowing will pick up pace once full monsoon season starts,? an senior government official said.
Recently, Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen expressed the hope that paddy acreage this year will be more than last year because of good price to growers.
Last year, India?s rice production suffered badly as vast swathes of farmland were devoid of adequate rains. In 2009-10 crop marketing year that ends in June, rice production dropped to 89.31 million tonne, almost 10% less than 2008-09.
Till Friday, oilseeds was sown in around 27,000 hectares, down 43% compared to the same period last year. ?Oilseed sowing mainly of soyabean and groundnut will pick up pace once monsoon becomes active in central and western parts of the country,? an Indore-based edible oil trader said.
Area under sugarcane has increased by 5% to 4,285,000 hectares as compared to 4,075,000 hectares last year. The area sown under pulses has increased by 53% to 53,500 hectares so far this kharif season compared to 35,000 hectares in the year-ago period.
Under pulses, the acreage of arhar has increased 66% to 5,000 hectares, that under urad has risen by one and a half times to 9,000 hectares and moong acreage has almost doubled to 11,000 hectares compared to last year.