Mixed monsoon results for crops

AMPLE monsoon rain in the first half of July accelerated planting of main summer-sown crops such as soybean, cotton and pulses in India, although rice planting is still lagging behind due to scant rainfall in some of the northern states.

Farmers planted summer-sown crops on 59.2 million hectares, as of last Friday (15), slightly higher than 59.1 million hectares a year ago, according to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. Crop sowing was down 9.3 per cent until last week.

The planting of summer-sown crops takes place in the months of June and July, while harvesting starts in October.

Except north India, most parts of the country have received above-normal rainfall so far this month, and that has accelerated planting, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading house.

India has received 13 per cent more rainfall than normal since the start of monsoon season on June 1. However, some rice-growing states such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have had below-normal monsoons, the weather department data showed.

About 12.85 million hectares had been planted with rice, down 17 per cent from a year-ago period, the ministry said.

The rice planting deficit could narrow to five per cent by end of July since rainfall has picked up, said BV Krishna Rao, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.

India is the world’s biggest exporter of rice, and accounts for more than 40 per cent of the global rice trade.

In July, the most crucial month for planting summer crops, India is likely to receive rainfall between 94 per cent and 106 per cent of the long-term average, the weather department said earlier this month.