The sowing of major Rabi crops, including wheat, mustard, and gram, has been delayed this year due to a combination of factors, primarily high temperatures in October and a shortage of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer. These issues have slowed down the pace of sowing, causing a significant decrease in the area of crops sown compared to last year.

According to available data, by the first week of November, the area sown with wheat decreased from 48.87 lakh hectares last year to 41.30 lakh hectares this year. Mustard sowing has also fallen, from 50.73 lakh hectares to 49.90 lakh hectares, and gram sowing has dropped from 27.42 lakh hectares to 24.57 lakh hectares.

While sowing has been slower than expected, there has been some hope of improvement due to favorable weather conditions, including sufficient rainfall from the southwest monsoon.

This has led to good water availability in dams and fields, which could help speed up sowing, but overcoming the DAP shortage will be crucial for this.

The delay in sowing is compounded by the unusually high temperatures in October, which were 0.68°C higher than the average maximum temperature, 1.78°C higher than the average minimum temperature, and 1.23°C higher than the mean temperature.

These temperatures were the highest in the northwestern, central, and southern peninsular regions of India since 1901.

The heat has particularly affected crops like cumin and other seed spices, where sowing was delayed and germination has been poor in many areas.

Furthermore, the high temperatures have caused an increase in insect infestations and diseases, particularly on mustard crops, where germination has been poor, and pest issues have become a concern in some areas.

Despite these challenges, sowing of Rabi crops is still underway, with some improvements expected if the DAP shortage is addressed and weather conditions remain favorable.