Monsoon rains, which turned patchy on the tail-end of June, will decide up later this week
Farmers have planted 49.9 million hectares (123 million acres) with summer season crops, down 10.43 per cent from a yr earlier, in keeping with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, as monsoon rains taper off after a robust begin final month.
Farmers sometimes begin planting summer-sown crops on June 1, when monsoon rains normally attain India. Planting then continues till early August.
Planting of rice, the important thing summer season crop, was at 11.5 million hectares as of July 9 versus 12.6 million hectares within the earlier yr, the ministry stated. The space planted with cotton was at 8.6 million hectares versus 10.5 million hectares the prior yr.
Planting of total oilseeds, together with soybean – the primary summer season oilseed crop – was at 11.2 million hectares, down from 12.6 million hectares the earlier yr.
Soybean sowing was at 8.2 million hectares towards 9.2 million hectares final yr. India is the world’s largest purchaser of cooking oils.
Sugarcane sowing on the planet’s second largest sugar producer was virtually unchanged at 5.3 million hectares.
Farmers planted protein-rich pulse on 5.2 million hectares towards 5.3 million hectares within the earlier yr. The figures are provisional and topic to revision because the June-September monsoon season progresses.
India, one of many world’s prime agriculture producers, has acquired 5 per cent under common rainfall since June 1, when the four-month wet season started. Monsoon rains had been 46 per cent under common within the week to July 7.
The state-run climate workplace defines common, or regular, rainfall as between 96 per cent and 104 per cent of a 50-year common of 88 cm for your complete season.
Monsoon rains, which turned patchy on the tail-end of June, will decide up later this week, India’s prime climate official instructed Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.
Nearly half of India’s farmland has no irrigation and depends on monsoon rains that account for 70%-90% of annual rainfall. Farming contributes virtually 15 per cent to the nation’s $2.7 trillion financial system.
