Deficient monsoon rainfall has delayed sowing of key Kharif crops— rice, pulses, oilseeds, maize and cotton—with overall sown area being 18.27 million hectares (Mha) as on June 25, a 23% year-on-year decline.
According to the Agriculture Ministry, total sowing till last Thursday was about 16% of the normal area of 110 mha in that window. By the same time a year ago, more than 21% of the normal area had come under fresh crops.
Paddy, the major kharif crop, has been sown in 2.57 Mha, a 25% decline, indicating scanty rainfall in the eastern and central parts of India. Normal paddy sown area is 41.2 mha.
Similarly, area under pulses has been 1.49 Mha, a sharp 30% year-on-year fall.
Cotton acreage is 35% lower at 2.96 Mha year-on-year. Oilseeds – soybean and groundnut – area is lagging sharply year-on-year due to scanty rainfall in the central India region. An official said that the kharif crop sowing period is in its early stage and if the monsoon revival continues for the next few weeks, sowing activities may progress.
The India Meteorological Department’s forecast of above-normal rainfall in the monsoon core zone in July is expected to boost sowing activities.
While sugarcane planting, which started much earlier but is considered part of the kharif season, is the only major crop showing a rise in area, others such as paddy, arhar (pigeon peas), soybean, groundnut, maize and cotton have reported a decline.
Pushan Sharma, Director, Crisil Intelligence, stated that the delayed progression of the monsoon across western and central India is likely to postpone kharif sowing and transplanting, particularly for paddy, cotton, pulses and key horticultural crops such as onion and tomato.
The progress of the southwest monsoon remained sluggish with cumulative rainfall being just over 39.8% below the benchmark longer period average (LPA) during June 1 – June 30. This is deep in the ‘deficient’ range.
In terms of regional distribution, all regions show a serious rainfall deficiency: northwest (-31%), east/north-east (-40%), central India (-50%), and south peninsular (-27%).
Kharif crops in India are those sown with the onset of the southwest monsoon, typically between June and July, and harvested in the autumn months from September to October. These crops thrive in warm, wet conditions and depend heavily on timely and sufficient rainfall.
The cultivation of kharif crops varies across regions in India, depending on local climate, soil type, and water availability. States like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are known for extensive rice production, while Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat grow large quantities of cotton and pulses.