Monsoon Update: Kharif Sowing Gathers Pace But Pulses Lag
Major pulses—including arhar, urad, and moong— saw a decline in sowing.
Kharif sowing has picked up momentum as the monsoon gathers pace but area covered under pulses still below last year's acreage.
Overall sowing area is 1.2% higher as compared with the same period last year, covering a total of 733.4 lakh hectares as of July 21, 2023, according to data published by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. For pulses, it's 10% below last year.
Sowing areas for rice, cereals, oilseeds, and jute have exceeded last year's figures despite the delayed onset of monsoon and uneven distribution of rainfall, the data showed.
Rice And Pulses
Arhar witnessed the sharpest decline of 18.4% in sowing area among pulses. Urad, and moong, too, recorded a fall.
Progress of the monsoon along with improvement in the spatial distribution has aided sowing in the kharif or monsoon cropping season, according to a note by Bank of Baroda. Pulses can catch up in the coming two weeks, it said.
Cotton and jute have also seen lower sowing acreage but that may also change. Farmers are less eager to grow cotton given that the textile industry is facing challenges of lower demand for exports, the note said.
On July 20, the central government imposed a ban on the exports of non-basmati white rice. The move came as a measure to ensure sufficient availability of rice in the domestic market, given the recent upswing in local prices and the increase in exports so far in FY24 due to higher international prices, said Rahul Bajoria, chief economist at Barclays.
While it may have a limited impact on trade, "this move may trigger a bigger shock globally, as India is the largest exporter" of rice, Bajoria said. Despite this move, concerns remain over “lagging domestic sowing”, especially in major producer states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, which he said "needs to be monitored in the light of slow progress".
The southwest monsoon continues to gather momentum, with rainfall currently recorded at 2% above the long-period average until July 19. However, some regions in east and northeast India and the southern peninsula are still experiencing deficient rainfall.
Damage to horticulture and standing crops due to floods remains a possibility in areas that are experiencing heavy to very heavy rainfall, the India Meteorological Department said.
