Kharif sowing drags despite pick up in rains; paddy worst-hit with 24% drop

IMD's latest update says active monsoon conditions over central India and along the west coast could continue for five days starting. It sees a rise in rainfall over Northwest India on July 9-10

Sowing of kharif crops continued to remain below last year’s levels during the week ended July 08, despite a pick-up in rains in some parts of the country with paddy posting a near 24 per cent drop in acreage over the same period last year.

Oilseeds acreage was 20.21 per cent lower than the year-ago period while the area under pulses rose a little less than one per cent.

Data shows that the overall area under kharif crops till July 08 was estimated at about 44.82 million hectares, or 9.28 per cent lower than the same period last year.