The sowing of kharif crops picked up pace during the week ended July 14, as the monsoon became active over parts of North and Central India, narrowing the gap as compared to the previous week.
However, there is still a significant deficit in arhar, soybean, and cotton, mainly due to insufficient rainfall in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the two big growers of these crops.
In the case of rice, the largest foodgrain cultivated during the kharif season, the total acreage till last week (July 7) was almost 24 per cent less than the same period last year. By the end of this week (July 14), the deficit narrowed down to 9.8 per cent.
Overall, kharif crops have been sown in around 53.60 million hectares till July 14, which is around 4.29 per cent less than the same period last year.
The deficit in area covered, compared to the corresponding period of last year, has narrowed to 4.29 per cent as on July 14 from 8.68 per cent as on July 7.
In case of other main crops, the week-on-week deficit in acreage compared to the corresponding period of last year declined to 43 per cent for arhar on July 14, compared to 60 per cent of the previous week). While urad showed a deficit of 15.09 per cent deficit as on July 14, compared to 31.43 per cent of the previous week, soybean had an acreage deficit of 14.85 per cent as on July 14 compared to 26.14 per cent deficit the previous week and cotton showed a deficit of 5.05 per cent as on July 14, 2023 as compared to 10.87 per cent the previous week.
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However, given that cumulative seasonal shortfall in monsoon still remains fairly high in several districts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar, the rains in the coming few weeks will be crucial for healthy sowing of kharif crops in these places.
In total, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that rainfall has been deficit in around 40 per cent of the 717 districts, while the remaining 60 per cent have had normal to excess rainfall between June 1 and July 14.
Among the states with the highest number of districts facing rainfall deficits are Telangana (73 per cent of the 33 districts), Andhra Pradesh (65.30 per cent of the 26 districts), Maharashtra (58 per cent of the 36 districts), Karnataka (52 per cent of the 31 districts), and Bihar (68.4 percent of the 38 districts).
The central government has started discussions with the state administrations of Bihar and Telangana regarding contingency measures.
Bhavesh Shah, the joint managing director at GSP Crop Science, a leading company providing crop protection solutions, said states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar had experienced persistent heavy rains, which have disrupted agricultural activities.
Waterlogging poses a severe threat to major crops, such as paddy and cotton, leading to crop damage and disease outbreaks.
Additionally, increased humidity following the rains creates a favourable environment for pests, resulting in infestations that add to the challenges faced by cotton and sugarcane farmers.
On the other hand, regions like Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Odisha are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the monsoon.
"The delay in monsoon has significantly impacted crop sowing, making them vulnerable to diseases and pests. Cash crops like cotton, chili, and soybean, which are vital for the agricultural economy, have been significantly affected. Paddy cultivation, which is widespread in states like Odisha and Telangana, is also grappling with the lack of rainfall," Shah said.