Due to surplus monsoon rainfall this month, the sowing of key kharif crops — rice, pulses, oilseeds and cotton — has been delayed, with overall sown area at 53.12 million hectare (Mha), a 16% year-on-year decline, the agriculture ministry said on Monday.
Total sowing till July 10, according to the ministry, was 48% of the normal area of 110 mha. By the same time a year ago, more than 57% of the normal area was sown due to average monsoon rainfall. A week ago, lag in kharif crops sowing was 21% on year.
Rice, the major kharif crop, has been sown across 11.46 Mha, a 8.6% decline, indicating deficient rainfall in the eastern parts of India, especially in Bihar and Jharkhand. Average area for paddy sowing is 41.2 Mha. A week ago, rice acreage was 13% below 2025 level.
Similarly, area under pulses acreage stands at 5.66 Mha, a sharp 23% year-on-year fall, mostly attributed to the scanty rainfall received till end of June in central India. Tur (pigeon pea), a key kharif pulse, has been sown across 1.95 Mha so far, more than 30% less than year ago period, because of delay in monsoon arrivals in Maharashtra and Karnataka in this monsoon season.
Due to the ‘active’ monsoon from July 1 – 10 over the rain-fed core zone of central India, the deficit in the region has been reduced to 8% on Monday from over 50% reported till end of June. This is expected to boost pulses and oilseeds sowing in coming weeks.
Cotton acreage is 15% lower at 7.95 Mha y-o-y. Oilseeds — soyabean and groundnut — area lag 21% y-o-y due to scanty rainfall in the central India, especially in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh last month. An official said that the kharif crop sowing will sharply increase during two weeks as most parts of the country, except east and north-east, have received adequate rainfall this month.
Only acreage of sugarcane, which started much earlier but is considered part of the kharif season, has shown a rise in area.
After an active phase of monsoon this month, the intensity of monsoon has weakened in the last couple of days, while the country-wide rainfall deficit has reported a shortfall of 19.4% on Monday, and is likely to rise further in the coming days.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), ‘subdued’ rainfall activity is likely over the plains of northwest India, over west, central and south Peninsular India during next 6-7 days.
According to the met department, cumulative rainfall during June 1- July 13 is 222.4 mm, 19.4% below the benchmark longer period average (LPA), which is still in the ‘deficient’ range.