Kharif sowing gap narrows, but moong, arhar and maize trail last year
India’s kharif sowing reached 89.42 million hectares by July 31, narrowing the acreage gap with last year to 2.9%. However, moong, arhar and maize lagged, while below-normal August monsoon forecasts and lower reservoir levels continue to threaten crop prospects and agricultural growth.
The gap in kharif sowing acreage between this year and last narrowed to 2.9 per cent in the week ended July 31 from 4.7 per cent a week earlier, as sowing gathered pace. As of July 31, kharif crops had been sown over 89.42 million hectares, down from 92.07 million hectares in the year-ago period.
With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a below-normal monsoon in August as well, attention will now shift to rainfall distribution in the remaining weeks to determine if India will have a strong harvest.
According to the agriculture ministry data released on Monday, acreage under moong, arhar and maize remained the lowest among major kharif crops compared with the same period last year.
In a recent report, rating agency Icra said kharif sowing during the remainder of the season would need to grow by around 13 per cent to match last year’s final acreage. It had said the cumulative kharif sowing could decline by 1-2 per cent year-on-year but a better performance in the non-crop segment of agriculture would help prevent a contraction in agriculture GVA (gross value added), as was observed in past El Niño years. The rating agency projects agriculture, forestry and fishing GVA growth of around 1.2 per cent in FY2027, while flagging downside risks.
Meanwhile, data also showed that water levels in 166 reservoirs remained below both last year’s levels and the 10-year average as of July 30.
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Source : Business Standard
