Kharif sowing gap narrows, but key crops lag
Overall kharif acreage is nearly on par with last year, but rice, maize, oilseeds, sugarcane and cotton continue to trail
Kharif sowing in India has nearly caught up with last year's rate, with farmers planting 109.6 million hectares as of September 11, just 1.6 million hectares lower than the same period last year. However, several key crops are lagging behind, with rice acreage down by 1.7 million hectares to 42.6 million hectares, pulses up by 167,000 hectares to 11.8 million hectares, and cotton and sugarcane remaining below last year's levels.
The uneven monsoon, with a 15% rainfall deficit, further complicates matters, potentially impacting crops at critical growth stages. Experts note that while the total sown area is slightly lower, regional variations in rainfall, soil moisture, and local conditions continue to heavily influence farmers' decisions.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
