Focus Shifts to Production After Completion of Kharif Sowing

New Delhi. Although the sown area for Kharif crops has surpassed the five-year average—and, barring paddy, there have been no significant fluctuations in the acreage of other crops compared to last year—deficient and erratic monsoon rainfall is impacting crop health in several regions.

Consequently, there are doubts about whether production levels will align with the sown area. The acreage for paddy (rice), maize, moong, cotton, castor, and soybean trails behind last year's figures, raising the likelihood of reduced yields.

Similarly, production of tur (pigeon pea) and urad (black gram) is also expected to decline. Even though the sown area for these crops has exceeded last year's levels, a lack of rainfall in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana is hindering crop progress.

Soybean and cotton crops in Maharashtra—the second-largest producer of these crops—face significant risks, and Karnataka is also a major producer of both. Paddy acreage has decreased across several states. Castor sowing has declined in top-producing states like Gujarat and Rajasthan, while maize acreage has also lagged slightly in key producing regions.