July monsoon revives kharif hope

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI

The southwest monsoon is expected to strengthen significantly during July, offering fresh hope for India's kharif season after a delayed onset slowed crop sowing across several states. 

While planting remains behind last year's pace, improving rainfall has narrowed the deficit, and the Centre believes the coming weeks could see a sharp recovery in acreage if favourable weather continues.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday that rainfall has improved considerably in recent days, helping reduce concerns over the progress of the kharif season. 

The overall rainfall deficit has narrowed to 24% in July from 33% in June, while the number of rainfall-deficient districts has declined to 178 from 262, reflecting better precipitation across several agricultural regions.

Sowing yet to catch up 

Despite the improvement, kharif sowing continues to trail last year's level. Government data shows that crops have been planted across 35.08 million hectares, compared with 41.28 million hectares during the corresponding period last year, a decline of about 21%. 

The delayed arrival of the monsoon has affected the sowing of major rain-fed crops such as soybean and cotton. However, officials believe the rainfall expected through July provides enough time for farmers to accelerate planting and reduce the gap.

The Centre has advised farmers in water-stressed areas to diversify towards short-duration and less water-intensive crops such as maize, pearl millet (bajra) and green gram (moong), helping minimise weather-related risks while maintaining production.

Prepared for weather uncertainties

The government said preparations for a possible El Niño impact began as early as April. Working closely with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, contingency plans were prepared for vulnerable districts and shared with state governments well before the monsoon season. 

Authorities are closely monitoring weather and crop conditions in 13 key agricultural states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha. 

Support systems already in place

The Centre has also strengthened support mechanisms to ensure farmers can respond quickly to changing weather conditions. More than 1.24 lakh programmes were organised under the Khet Bachao Abhiyan, directly reaching over 80 lakh farmers with advice on crop planning and climate-resilient farming practices. 

A national reserve of around 1.75 lakh quintals of seeds has been maintained to ensure timely availability if re-sowing becomes necessary.   

At the same time, the government has accelerated the issuance of Kisan Credit Card, approving over 94,000 of the 1.14 lakh applications received by the end of June.

An El Niño Monitoring Cell, Crop Weather Watch Group, state-level control rooms and dedicated officers continue to track rainfall, sowing, crop health and market conditions on a real-time basis.