Nadia: Farm workers plant rice seedlings in a field during monsoon, in Nadia, Friday, August 2, 2024. (Photo: PTI)
Kharif crops such as rice and maize were sown in a larger area till the week ending August 9, 2024, compared to the same period last year, in a positive sign for policymakers and central bankers looking to control food inflation.
Compared to the previous weeks, the pace of sowing slowed down due to the southwest monsoon which continued to affect several parts of India as sowing was nearing completion in most parts of the country for major kharif crops. The kharif season begins in June.
The data showed that till August 9, kharif crops had been sown on around 98 million hectares, up 1.39 per cent compared to the same period last year.
A good kharif harvest will go a long way in curbing food inflation by increasing the supply of staples like rice. It will also ensure adequate soil moisture for a healthy rabi crop.
The area sown with arhar, or tur, was nearly 16 percent higher than last year and if the sowing rate is maintained, it is likely to cover more than the normal area of 4.55 million hectares.
The normal area is the average area covered by a crop in the last five seasons.
Corn and peanuts were the other two crops that recorded the largest increase in planted area compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, cotton has seen a decline in acreage and industry experts say farmers were shifting nearly 10-12 per cent of the area under cotton to other crops due to declining yields.
So far, the strong monsoon has also caused water levels in reservoirs in most parts of the country, except northern India, to be higher than their normal storage levels.
Monsoon rainfall through August 12, 2024 was 6 percent above normal, with southern India leading the way with 22 percent more rainfall than average.
First published: August 12, 2024 | 21:32 IS
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