Uneven Rainfall in Karnataka Raises Concerns Over Kharif Sowing
05-Jul-2025 11:40 AM
Uneven Rainfall in Karnataka Raises Concerns Over Kharif Sowing
★ According to the latest rainfall report released by IMD, many districts in Karnataka have received significantly below-normal rainfall between June 1 and July 4, 2025, which could adversely affect kharif crop sowing.
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Rainfall Scenario: Who's Ahead, Who's Behind?
★ As per the rainfall map, severe deficits have been observed in the southern and eastern districts of the state:
★ Severe deficit: Mandya (-74%)
★ Moderate deficit (20%-59% below normal): Tumakuru (-26%), Chikkaballapur (-38%), Bengaluru Rural and Urban, Kolar, Chitradurga, Chamarajanagar, Ramanagara, and surrounding districts.
★ Normal rainfall: Dharwad, Hassan, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Raichur, and similar districts.
★ Excess rainfall: Coastal districts like Kodagu, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada are in the ‘Large Excess’ category, having received 60% or more rainfall above normal.
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Potential Impact on Kharif Sowing
★ In the kharif season, Karnataka mainly sows paddy, maize, groundnut, tur (pigeon pea), and cotton. However, prolonged rainfall deficits in many districts have delayed sowing activities.
★ Tur sowing, which was slightly below 9 lakh hectares during the same time last year, remained below 7.5 lakh hectares by the end of June. Groundnut and cotton acreage also declined.
★ Due to high prices and its lower water requirement, maize sowing rose to 12.62 lakh hectares, compared to 10.5 lakh hectares in the same period last year.
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★ If rainfall does not improve over the next 10 days, total kharif sown area could decline further, potentially leading to a sharp drop in overall production.