(MENAFN- Live Mint) "New Delhi: Kharif sowing has exceeded the levels of last year led by a surge in paddy and sugarcane, while pulses, oilseeds and cotton fell, at a time the erratic south-west monsoon has cast a shadow over this year's sowing and harvest.According to data released by the agriculture ministry on Friday, total kharif planting until 22 September was up 3.7% from the previous year to touch 110.2 million hectares (mh). Paddy cultivation jumped 10.8% from last year to 41.2 mh, while pulses fell nearly 6% to 12.2 mh, including a 2.4% dip in tur (pigeon pea or arhar) and a 0.5% decrease in urad (black gram) to 4.4 mh and 3.3 mh, respectively. Area under oilseed cultivation declined as well, down by 3.2% to 19.3 mh.While the sowing of groundnut declined by 1.6% to 4.4 mh, sunflower crop plantations fell by 1.3% to 710,000 hectares.However, farmers sowed more of soya bean, a major kharif crop, covering 12.5 mh, up 0.8% from last year.Agronomists expect the overall sowing for current kharif season to be 1-2% higher on year majorly driven by paddy, sugarcane, coarse cereals, and soya bean. However, other crops like pulses, groundnut and cotton have witnessed a decline in acreage on year owing to delayed and erratic monsoon. Though area may increase, yield of some crops may be affected, resulting in higher food prices, according to Pushan Sharma, Director - Research, Crisil Market Intelligence and Analytics.“Farmers this kharif are expected to witness a decline in yields across key crops like paddy, cotton, maize and pulses. Considering the sowing and yield situation and market conditions, we expect paddy prices to remain elevated on-year, whereas pulse prices are expected to rise significantly on a high base due to anticipated lower output on year,” Sharma said.The sowing of coarse cereals went up 2.3% year-on-year to 18.6 mh. Maize cultivation rose 2.6% to 8.4 mh, while bajra and ragi increased slightly to 7 mh and 1 mh, respectively. However, sowing of jowar dropped 1.4% to 1.4 mh.Similarly, cotton crop plantation shrank 4.2% to 12.3 mh. In the case of sugarcane, sowing went up 4.2% to nearly 6 mh.Though rainfall countrywide improved in the past week from August, the driest monsoon month in 122 years, it still lags 6% at 780.3 mm till 22 September since 1 June.The June-September monsoon season drives a big chunk of India's $3 trillion economy, bringing nearly 75% of the country's annual rains, crucial for agriculture and for replenishing reservoirs and aquifers and meeting power demand. Over half of India's arable land is rain-fed, and agriculture is among the biggest employment generators.Good rain over the past fortnight has improved levels in major reservoirs, now at 19% below the previous year's levels and 8% lower than the 10-year average.As of Thursday, the gap has reduced by 4% from the past week.In the week ended Wednesday, India recorded a precipitation of 54.2 mm, 44% above the long-period average. Higher water levels are critical for the agriculture sector, with farmers relying significantly on reservoirs for irrigation.Data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed that the water level in 150 reservoirs is currently at 178.784 billion cubic metres (bcm), or 69.4% of their overall capacity. Although there has been a slight uptick since last week, it pales in comparison with the same period last year and the 10-year average, when storage was at 157.086 bcm and 137.00 bcm, respectively.“The storage in the 150 reservoirs is presently at 81% of the same period's storage last year and 92% of the ten-year average,” the CWC reported.
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