Good rains in South India have accelerated the sowing of Kharif crops

06-Jun-2025 07:31 PM

Hyderabad. Due to good monsoon rains across all the states of South India, not only has the water level in dams and lakes increased, but sufficient moisture is now present in the soil, enabling farmers to begin early sowing of Kharif crops. This positive trend is expected to continue.

Data from the Central Water Commission shows that the water storage in 45 major reservoirs of South India has improved to 18.668 billion cubic meters (BCM), about 34 percent of their total storage capacity of 54.939 BCM. A few weeks ago, this had fallen below 30 percent.

Among the states, Tamil Nadu has the best water storage with 77.38 percent, followed by Kerala at 40.24 percent, Karnataka at 31.64 percent, Andhra Pradesh at 24.7 percent, and Telangana at 31.83 percent.

Thanks to good rainfall in farmlands, barns, and river basins outside of the main reservoirs, agricultural activity has picked up significantly.

The southwest monsoon reached Kerala on 24 May, eight days ahead of the normal onset date of 1 June. By 31 May, all southern states had received heavy rainfall, sufficient for the beginning of Kharif sowing. Farmers have made full use of this favorable condition, and more rainfall is expected in the region.

Almost all districts of Tamil Nadu have benefited from this early rain. In Kerala, the rainfall particularly supported the cultivation of small cardamom, other spice crops, and plantation products.

In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, conditions are now favorable for sowing paddy and other Kharif crops. Although the southwest monsoon has currently paused, sporadic rainfall continues in the southern states. The monsoon may take longer to reach other parts of the country.