As the southwest monsoon enters a crucial phase in its four-month journey over the country, its less-than-satisfactory performance so far has reduced areas sown for cotton, pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals as compared to the same period last year.
Experts believe the next one month will be crucial for good production, as this is the time when the early sown varieties of most kharif crops start maturing, while the late varieties are planted. As of now, cumulative monsoon rains across the country have been almost three per cent below normal, with the south peninsula, comprising Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, receiving almost six per cent below normal rain.
The southwest monsoon, which begins in June, is crucial for agriculture, as 70-80 per cent of the annual rainfall that India receives takes place during this period.
Rainfall in July so far has been 24 per cent below normal across the country.
Since June, monsoon rains have been 46 per cent below normal in Gujarat and almost 25 per cent below normal in some parts of Maharashtra.
Gujarat and Maharashtra are major producers of pulses, oilseeds and cotton.
There is a big possibility of monsoon rain improving all over the country as the India Meteorological Department in its latest forecast says there will be fairly widespread rainfall over most parts of the country in the coming weeks.
However, subdued monsoon in July had pulled down acreage under cotton to 5.88 million hectares till Friday, down almost 2.55 million hectares from last year.
In Gujarat and Maharashtra, which account for 80 per cent of the country’s total cotton production, areas under the crop have been 47 per cent and 51 per cent less than last year, respectively, till now.
Among kharif pulses, the area under arhar is 59 per cent less this year as compared to the same period last year, while that under urad is around 10 per cent less.
Overall, across the country, pulses had been sown on 3.61 million hectares till Friday, down 687,000 hectares from the same period last year.
Acreage of coarse cereals has dropped by around 548,000 hectares to 7.43 million hectares. Acreage of groundnut, mainly cultivated in Gujarat, is almost 1.12 million hectares less this year .
The most heartening factor has been for paddy. Till Friday, almost 11.53 million hectares of land has been brought under paddy, up from 11.48 million hectares during the same period last year.
Acreage of sugarcane, sowing for which is complete, is 232,000 hectares more than last year.
