Sowing gathers pace on monsoon revival, still 19 per cent below last year's level

Sowing of summer crops galloped this week on revival of monsoon, but planting is still 19 per cent below last year’s level, official data showed.

Revival of rains in parched fields of central and western India helped oilseeds planting jump 155 per cent in seven days, but total area covered is still 22 per cent below last year’s level. Area under paddy also doubled, but is still nearly 20 per cent lower than a year ago, data from the agriculture ministry showed.

Farmers planted crops in Rajasthan also after heavy showers in recent days, helping coarse grain sowing rise 81 per cent during the week although it is still 46 per cent short of last year’s acreage. But in other states, planting of coarse grain has stagnated.

Sowing picked up after rainfall revived to a level 1 per cent above normal, helping reduce the seasonal rainfall deficit to 22 per cent on July 11. It had risen to more than 30 per cent earlier in the month.