Indian farmers have planted 49.9 million hectares (123 million acres) with summer crops, down 10.43 per cent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, as monsoon rains taper off after a strong start last month.
Farmers sometimes begin planting summer-sown crops on June 1, when monsoon rains often 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 mentioned.
The world planted with cotton was at 8.6 million hectares versus 10.5 million hectares the prior yr.
Planting of general 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 in opposition to 9.2 million hectares final yr. India is the world’s largest purchaser of cooking oils.
Sugarcane sowing on the earth’s second largest sugar producer was nearly unchanged at 5.three million hectares.
Farmers planted protein-rich pulse on 5.2 million hectares in opposition to 5.three 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 high agriculture producers, has acquired 5% beneath common rainfall since June 1, when the four-month wet season started. Monsoon rains have been 46% beneath common within the week to July 7.
The state-run climate workplace defines common, or regular, rainfall as between 96% and 104% of a 50-year common of 88 cm for the whole season.
Monsoon rains, which turned patchy on the tail-end of June, will choose up later this week, India’s high climate official instructed Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.
Almost half of India’s farmland has no irrigation and depends on monsoon rains that account for 70%-90% of annual rainfall. Farming contributes nearly 15% to India’s $2.7 trillion financial system.
Source: PTI