Weak rains leave India's summer crop planting 16% behind last year, with pulses and oilseeds hit hardest A patchy monsoon has pulled the total kharif sowing area down to 531.25 lakh hectares by 10 July, 16 percent lower than the same period a year ago. Paddy, pulses, oilseeds and cotton all recorded declines. A sluggish monsoon has knocked India's summer planting season badly off track, with the total area sown under kharif crops running 16 percent lower than a year ago. Fresh figures from the Agriculture Ministry show that by 10 July farmers had planted 531.25 lakh hectares, against 632.69 lakh hectares over the same stretch last season. The shortfall is not confined to any one crop, it cuts across almost every major category, from paddy and pulses to oilseeds and cotton. Kharif crops are usually sown in June, when the southwest monsoon arrives. This year, the influence of El Nino weakened those rains and pushed planting behind schedule. Because most farming in the country still leans on monsoon showers rather than assured irrigation, any disturbance in the rainfall calendar quickly shows up in the sowing data. Where El Nino bites the hardest El Nino's impact is felt most strongly across nine to ten states. These include the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra, the coastal belts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, northern Karnataka, the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand. These are the very areas where cultivation depends heavily on the rains, which is why a weak monsoon leaves the deepest mark here. Paddy and pulses take the sharpest blow The area under paddy slipped 8.63 percent to 114.69 lakh hectares, down from 125.53 lakh hectares a year earlier. Pulses fared even worse. The total pulses area fell 23.31 percent, from 73.85 lakh hectares to 56.63 lakh hectares. Within pulses, arhar dropped to 19.54 lakh hectares from 28.03 lakh hectares a year ago, while urad came down to 9.34 lakh hectares from 13.29 lakh hectares. Moong sowing also shrank, sliding from 24.08 lakh hectares to 21.52 lakh hectares. Coarse cereals and oilseeds slide further Coarse cereals were not spared either. Their area fell 22.47 percent to 98.69 lakh hectares, compared with 127.30 lakh hectares last year. Oilseeds followed the same downward path, dropping 21 percent to 117.83 lakh hectares from 149.18 lakh hectares. Soybean, the biggest of the oilseed crops, was down 16 percent at 90.51 lakh hectares, against 107.72 lakh hectares a year earlier. The full picture at a glance - Total kharif crops: down from 632.69 to 531.25 lakh hectares, a fall of 16 percent. • Paddy: 125.53 to 114.69 lakh hectares, down 8.63 percent. • Total pulses: 73.85 to 56.63 lakh hectares, down 23.31 percent. • Arhar: 28.03 to 19.54 lakh hectares, down about 30.28 percent. • Urad: 13.29 to 9.34 lakh hectares, down 29.72 percent. • Moong: 24.08 to 21.52 lakh hectares, down 10.63 percent. • Coarse cereals: 127.30 to 98.69 lakh hectares, down 22.47 percent. • Total oilseeds: 149.18 to 117.83 lakh hectares, down 21 percent. • Soybean: 107.72 to 90.51 lakh hectares, down 16 percent. • Cotton: 93.95 to 79.54 lakh hectares, down 15.33 percent. • Sugarcane: 56.72 to 57.58 lakh hectares, up 1.51 percent. • Jute / Mesta: 6.16 to 6.28 lakh hectares, up 1.94 percent. Sugarcane and jute buck the trend Amid this long list of declines, a couple of crops offered some relief. The area under sugarcane rose slightly, from 56.72 lakh hectares to 57.58 lakh hectares. Jute or mesta also edged up, from 6.16 lakh hectares to 6.28 lakh hectares. Among the cash crops, however, cotton lost ground. So far this kharif season its area has fallen 15.33 percent to 79.54 lakh hectares, compared with 93.95 lakh hectares over the same period last year. The overall message is clear, until the monsoon picks up pace, this planting gap will keep weighing on farmers. What this means for you • Across India: Lower sowing of pulses, oilseeds and paddy could put upward pressure on the prices of dal, cooking oil and rice in the coming months, hitting your kitchen budget directly. • In rain-dependent states: Farmers in areas like Maharashtra's Marathwada and Vidarbha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and eastern Uttar Pradesh may see their incomes squeezed by the weak planting season. Questions & Answers 1. By how much has kharif crop sowing fallen this year? By 10 July, the total kharif sowing area had dropped 16 percent to 531.25 lakh hectares, compared with 632.69 lakh hectares in the same period last year. 2. What is the main reason behind the drop in sowing? The influence of El Nino weakened the monsoon this year, delaying the rains and holding back planting. Most farming in India still depends on monsoon showers. 3. How much has the paddy sowing area shrunk? The paddy area fell 8.63 percent to 114.69 lakh hectares, down from 125.53 lakh hectares a year earlier. 4. Which pulses saw the biggest declines? The total pulses area fell 23.31 percent. Arhar dropped from 28.03 to 19.54 lakh hectares and urad from 13.29 to 9.34 lakh hectares. 5. Which crops actually saw an increase in sowing? Sugarcane rose to 57.58 lakh hectares and jute or mesta increased to 6.28 lakh hectares. 6. Which states are worst affected by El Nino? Its impact is felt most in nine to ten states, including Maharashtra's Marathwada and Vidarbha, coastal Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, northern Karnataka, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand. 7. What is the situation with cotton and oilseeds? Cotton fell 15.33 percent to 79.54 lakh hectares, while the total oilseeds area dropped 21 percent to 117.83 lakh hectares. https://trendkia.com/en/business/isa-bara-kharipha-sijana-men-buvai-ka-rakaba-16-phisadi-lurhaka-dhana-aura-dalahana-sameta-hara-phasala-para-pari-mara-7529 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.