Kharif plantings have been severely impacted by a 41 per cent rainfall deficit across the country in the current South-West monsoon season (June-September). Crops that have been worst affected are cotton and oilseeds.

In the case of cotton, the combined area sown in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan – where the crop is largely irrigated – has gone up this time to 14.21 lakh hectares (lh), from 12.64 lh during the corresponding period a year ago.

But in other States where the crop is mostly rain-fed, acreages are down from 16.51 to 2.27 lh in Maharashtra, from 11.26 to 5.35 lh in Gujarat, from 5.79 to 2.7 lh in Telangana and from 4.64 to 1.27 lh in Madhya Pradesh (MP).

Oilseeds coverage

Poor rains in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have, likewise, led to a lag in sowing of groundnut and soyabean.

Overall oilseeds area is not only below last year’s level, but even the normal coverage at this time of the season (see table).

“Last year, 70 per cent of area in MP was planted in June, whereas we have seen virtually no sowing till now. Hopefully, there will be some rains in the coming days. So long as plantings happen before July 15, farmers can still get normal yields,” said Rajesh Agarwal of the Indore-based Soyabean Processors Association of India.

In cotton, the sowing window can extend till July 20 in Vidarbha, Marathwada and Gujarat and going up to the first week of August in Andhra Pradesh. The next couple of weeks are crucial for rain-fed cotton.

“The rains are required mainly during the 4-5 days between sowing and germination. Once germination takes place, the sapling can manage without rains for 10-15 days by subsisting on the moisture from the soil,” said an Agriculture Ministry official.

Pulses acreage slip

The dry spell now being witnessed has also been bad for pulses. Maharashtra has witnessed a huge drop in area under arhar (from 2.39 to 0.05 lh), moong (from 1.28 to 0.01 lh) and urad (from 0.88 to 0.01 lh).

There have been similar acreage declines for urad in MP (from 1.61 to 0.03 lh) and for arhar (from 1.4 to 0.39 lh) and moong (from 2.03 to 1.65 lh) in Karnataka.

The situation is somewhat less alarming in coarse grains, where progressive acreages are at near-normal levels barring for jowar (again mainly courtesy Maharashtra).

In sugarcane, the bulk of plantings were completed by May, while in paddy there is still scope for the lag in area to be significantly covered. Provided July delivers good showers, of course.

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