RECORD KHARIF SOWING, MAY AID RECOVERY

NEW DELHI: Plentiful rains and a rural stimulus have led to frenzied planting of kharif, or summer-sown crops, this year, as acreages of four key crops surpassed their five-year averages for this time of the year. If this results in a bountiful harvest (as it is expected to), the result could be a boost for the rural economy — and more demand for everything from consumer products to mobile phones to motorcycles.

Buoyed by robust showers from May, farmers sprinted into action earlier than usual, planting crops on 58.6 million hectares until July 12, compared to 40.2 million hectare last year, a 45% jump, according to the farm ministry data. In all, the respective areas under pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds, and cotton are currently the highest in five years.

According to the IMD, the monsoon so far has been either “normal” or “excess” in 26 states. And a good harvest keeps prices low and stokes demand for manufactured items, spurring factory output.