Planting of summer crops ramps up in India as monsoon revives

Ample monsoon rain in the first half of July accelerated planting of main summer-sown crops such as soybean, cotton and pulses in India, although rice planting is still lagging behind due to scant rainfall in northern states.

Farmers planted summer-sown crops on 59.2 million hectares, as of July 15, slightly higher than 59.1 million hectares a year ago, according to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. Crop sowing was down 9.3per cent until last week. The planting of summer-sown crops takes place in the monsoon months of June and July, while harvesting starts in October.

Except North India, most parts of the country have received above-normal rainfall so far this month, and that has accelerated planting, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading house.

India has received 13per cent more rainfall than normal since the start of monsoon season on June 1, but some rice-growing states such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have received below-normal monsoons, the weather department data showed.

About 12.85 million hectares had been planted with rice, down 17per cent from a year-ago period, the ministry said.

Rice planting deficit could narrow to 5per cent by end of July since rainfall has picked up, said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association. India is the world’s biggest exporter of rice, and accounts for more than 40per cent of the global rice trade. A reduction in output could prompt New Delhi to curb rice exports.