Erratic Rainfall To Impact Crop Output & Push Domestic Prices Higher: Report

India’s South-West monsoon cumulatively stands at 10 per cent below Long term average(LPA) till 11 Sep 2023. Sparsity of rainfall has resulted in kharif sowing standing at the same levels as last year, with lower sowing area of pulses, oilseeds and cotton said report released by Ban of Baroda.

Overall total kharif sowing as of 8 Sep 2023 stands at the same level as last year levels at 1088.5 lakh ha. Sowing of coarse cereals has improved by 0.5 per cent supported by higher sowing of Maize (2.9 per cent and Bajra (0.5 per cent).

Rice and sugarcane sown area has expanded further by 2.7 per cent and 7.6 per cent respectively. Conversely, acreage of pulses lags behind by (-) 8.6 per cent led by lower sowing area of Arhar (5.9 per cent) and Urad (14 per cent). 

Additionally, Sowing area of cotton and jute and mesta has declined by (-) 1.5 per cent and (-) 5.7 per cent compared with the last year levels.  Even oilseeds area is down by (-) 0.9 per cent, though soybean registered an improvement.

Most of the states across India has been witnessing normal rainfall. Some of these include, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. Telangana and Himachal Pradesh are the only states to receive excessive rainfall during this period.

6 of the states have been receiving scanty rainfall, these are Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur.  IMD expects El Nino conditions to intensify and continue till even next year. These conditions are currently weak and prevailing over the Equatorial pacific region.