Kharif Sowing Gap Narrows, But Key Crops Lag

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Kharif sowing has nearly caught up with last year, although acreage under several key crops remains lower, agriculture ministry data showed.

Farmers had planted 109.6 million hectares as of 11 September, about 1.6 million hectares below the area sown during the year-ago period. The acreage is also close to the ministry's normal benchmark of 110.4 million hectares.

The headline figure masks sharper declines in rice, maize, oilseeds, sugarcane and cotton, which are critical to India's food, edible oil and fibre supplies. Rice acreage stood at 42.6 million hectares, down 1.7 million hectares from a year ago.

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Pulses offered some support, with acreage rising 167,000 hectares to 11.8 million hectares, led by gains in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Coarse cereals and oil seeds increased marginally, while cotton and sugarcane remained below last year's levels.

The uneven monsoon remains a concern. India has received 15% less rainfal than normal between 1 June and 13 September, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), with significant regional variations. The rainfall deficit and prolonged dry spells could affect crops at critical growth stages.

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“The latest kharif sowing figures present a mixed picture for Indian agriculture. While the total sown area is marginally lower than last year, the real story lies in the regional variations, where rainfall patterns, soil moisture, crop economics and local agro-climatic conditions continue to shape farmers' sowing decisions," said Uday Raj Anand, chief executive, domestic business, agrochemical company Parijat Industries.

Area under Shri Anna and coarse cereals stood at 18.3 million hectares, marginally up from 18.2 million hectares a year ago. The increase in area was mainly due to higher acreage in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand.

Oilseed acreage declined marginally to 19.39 million hectares from 19.4 million hectares last year. Lower acreage under soybean and groundnut offset gains in crops such as sesame and sunflower.

Cotton acreage was also marginally lower at 10.9 million hectares, compared with 11.0 million hectares a year ago. The decline in cotton area coverage is mainly attributable to substantial reductions in Rajasthan and Haryana, with declines in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh that have more than offset the gains recorded in Telangana and Gujarat.

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Sugarcane acreage at 5.84 million hectares was marginally below the 5.88 million hectares recorded a year ago.

The narrowing sowing gap comes despite a deficient monsoon season. Also, rainfall distribution has remained uneven. The IMD has forecast subdued rainfall activity over peninsular India in the coming week, while several parts of central and eastern India are expected to receive rainfall.

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