MC Daily Monsoon Tracker: Kharif sowing up 1.8%, paddy acreage widens nearly 4% on higher rainfall

Paddy sowing higher than last five year average

Kharif sowing picked up as on September 2 and was just 0.8 percent below the average area sown over the last five years (2018-2023) owing to a pickup in rainfall activity, according to data released by the ministry of agriculture and farmer welfare and the India Meteorological Department.

Paddy sowing was up 3.8 percent from the previous year, while it was 1.8 percent higher than the normal. Pulses sowing was also higher from previous year’s kharif acreage at 7.3 percent but was lower than the normal area coverage of 8 percent.

Inflation in pulses has been over 10 percent over the last 12 months. Coarse cereals coverage was also higher, while cash crops like jute and cotton witnessed a decline. Jute and cotton sowing is over 13 percent lower than the normal area.

India’s rainfall surplus widened further to 7.6 percent above normal on September 2 from 7.3 percent the previous day—the highest level since the start of the season.

Telangana received excess rainfall on September 2 with over 617 percent higher rainfall, Kerala has received 96 percent higher rainfall than normal.

The country is expected to receive above-normal rainfall in September as well, the IMD said on August 31.

Eight states continue to be rainfall deficient, with Bihar showing a deficit of 26 percent and Punjab 25 percent. Nagaland and Manipur suffered a deficit of 28 percent.

India’s reservoir levels were 19 percent above the 10-year average on August 29, according to data released by Central Water Commission.