AgriNation News Network
New Delhi. 19 June 2019

The slow progress of monsoon in central and western regions of India has delayed the planting of summer sown crops – soybean, cotton, rice and corn, at least by two weeks.

According to provisional data from Ministry of Agriculture, the sowing is down by 9 percent this year as compared to last year in the same period. Farmers have so far planted only summer-sown crops on 8.22 million hectares (20.3 million acres). according to provisional data from the Ministry of Agriculture. Cotton sowing is down 9.4%, while soybean planting has lagged by 51% during the period.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) data has confirmed that monsoon rainfall was 43% lower than normal so far in June. In some states, such as Maharashtra, the rainfall deficit was as high as 68 percent. The monsoon should have covered most parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh by mid-June but it has not even fully covered the southern state of Karnataka, a producer of sugar and corn.

However, the sources in IMD said, the rainfall in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, both key producers of soybean, cotton, sugar and pulses, rainfall could pick up from the week after.

Experts have said, the delay in monsoon is likely to result in lowering the production of oilseeds, cotton and rice, consequently affecting their imports and exports.