Sowing of kharif crops continued to be lower than last year despite a revival in monsoon in some parts of the country, raising concerns over final crop output as any extraordinary delay in sowing will impact yields. A drop in kharif output particularly for oilseeds and pulses could have an adverse impact on their already high prices, further pushing up inflationary impact on the economy.

       Till last week (July 09), sowing of kharif crops was 10.45 per cent lower than last year, and worsened during the week ending July 16 to 11.6 percent less. More importantly, the area covered ...