Sowing of kharif crops corresponding to paddy, pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals and cotton has seen a sluggish progress the primary two weeks of this month. According to agriculture ministry knowledge on Friday, kharif crops have been sown in 14.05 million hectares (MH), round 24% lower than corresponding interval final 12 months.
An agriculture ministry official, nevertheless, mentioned that these are early days because the window for sowing of kharif crops is until the top of July. Kharif crops are sown in round 106 MH.
With the exception of sugarcane, which has been planted in 5.07 MH until now, at par with planting space within the corresponding interval a 12 months in the past, sowing of paddy, pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals and cotton has been lagging in comparison with final 12 months.
Traders mentioned that the monsoon rains in final one week in the important thing pulses (particularly arhar and urad) rising areas corresponding to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka is anticipated to strengthen sowing.
“With the monsoon rains reviving in the last one week, the kharif sowing activities have picked up pace,” an agriculture ministry official advised FE. The official mentioned that sowing could be reaching regular degree by first week of July.
In April, 2022, the federal government had set a report foodgrain manufacturing goal of 328 million tonne (MT) within the 2022-23 crop 12 months (July-June) towards 314 MT of manufacturing in 2021-22, as per the third advance estimate of foodgrain output.
While stating that it’s too early to imagine any significant pattern for the season, Rahul Bajoria, MD and chief India economist, Barclays, mentioned, “We expect sowing activity to pick up in the coming weeks as rainfall spreads to most parts of the country.”
Adequate and nicely distributed rainfall throughout monsoon months (June-September) helps in boosting kharif crop manufacturing apart from guaranteeing enough moisture for the rabi crops.
The monsoon has picked up tempo since June 16 when deficiency in monsoon rains was 25%. During June 1-24, the cumulative common monsoon rainfall was 115.2 mm, which was 4% lower than the traditional quantity of 119.9 mm.
Only the east & northeast and northwest areas of the nation have acquired, greater than 29% and 1% respectively, monsoon rainfall than regular quantity up to now. Cumulative deficiency in rain over the south peninsula and central India was reported at 15% and 31% respectively.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its forecast on Friday mentioned “intense spell of rainfall is very likely to continue along the west coast during next four days and subdued rainfall activity over northwest and adjoining Central India till June 26th.”
On May 31, the IMD mentioned monsoon rains this 12 months will probably be greater than what it had forecast in April at 103% of the benchmark long-period common (LPA), with 81% likelihood of rainfall being both “normal” or above.
The rains may also be well-distributed spatially throughout the 4 broad areas and most components of the nation, the company had mentioned. In its forecast for June, the IMD has predicted a traditional rainfall within the vary of 92-108 % of LPA.
Meanwhile, the typical water degree in 143 main reservoirs within the nation at current is much less by 11% on 12 months, the Central Water Commission mentioned. However, the extent is 25% increased than the typical of the final 10 years.
Reservoirs at present have 49.65 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water, which is about 28% of their mixed capability. A 12 months in the past, 55.64 BCM water was accessible in these reservoirs, whereas the typical of the final 10 years is 39.83 BCM, in keeping with the most recent CWC observe.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”