Monsoon Deficit Shrinks To 15%, But Kharif Sowing Remains Behind: Report
India's southwest monsoon has staged a strong recovery in recent weeks, significantly narrowing the seasonal rainfall deficit, but delayed Kharif sowing continues to pose a challenge for the agriculture sector, according to a Capital 360 report.The report said the cumulative rainfall deficit narrowed to 15 per cent below normal as of Wednesday, compared with 38 per cent a week earlier. The improvement followed above-normal rainfall during the week ended July 8, when the country received 83.6 mm of rainfall against the normal 57.5 mm.
The recovery in rainfall has also become more geographically widespread. According to the report, 25 of the country's 36 meteorological subdivisions have recorded normal or excess rainfall, while nearly 49 per cent of districts have received normal or excess precipitation. However, the report noted that the improvement in monsoon conditions has not yet translated into stronger Kharif sowing.
Kharif Sowing Remains Weak
As of Sunday, total Kharif sowing was 20.8 per cent lower than the corresponding period last year. Among major crops, oilseeds recorded the steepest decline, with sowing down 39.3 per cent year-on-year, followed by cotton at 22.9 per cent, pulses at 21.8 per cent, coarse cereals at 16.4 per cent and rice at 13.1 per cent. Sugarcane was the only major crop to register an increase, with sowing rising 1.6 per cent.
The report also pointed to an improvement in reservoir storage. Live storage in major reservoirs stood at 32.4 per cent of total capacity as of Thursday, higher than the previous week. However, storage remained 36 per cent below the level recorded a year earlier, while staying 7.5 per cent above the 10-year average.
According to Capital 360, while the recent spell of strong rainfall has improved the overall monsoon situation, the pace of Kharif sowing and the spatial distribution of rainfall will remain key factors influencing agricultural activity in the weeks ahead.
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