July rains seen crucial as delayed monsoon worries farmers
monsoon in many parts of the country has raised concern over the cultivation of kharif crops such as paddy, pulses and soyabean, even though experts still believe any shortfall can be largely mitigated if rainfall picks up by the first week of July.
Soyabean Processors Association (SOPA) said only 10% of the area in Madhya Pradesh – the largest producer of the crop – has been sown for soyabean cultivation this year as compared to 50%-60% by this time last year while in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, a majority of farmers are waiting for rains to sow paddy.
The pulses trade is worried about the impact of delayed monsoon on tur and urad crops, whose prices have gone up in the last two years due to less production and increased imports. Among pulses, tur, urad and moong are cultivated during the kharif season.
Kharif crops are generally sown at the start of monsoon rains and are harvested towards the end of the rainy season in September-October.
20% monsoon deficit adds to India's sweltering heatwave troubles
“Sowing is yet to pick up in Madhya Pradesh and other soyabean producing states,” said D N Pathak, executive director of SOPA. “If it doesn’t rain by the first week of July, then the crop size will suffer.”
Soyabean is sown on close to 5.5 million hectares in Madhya Pradesh.
In kharif, the country has produced an estimated 12.56 million tonnes of soyabean.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted below-normal monsoon rainfall in June, which means the intense heatwave
