Paddy planting continues to lead India's Kharif sowing

Farmers in India have sown Kharif crops across 1,077.82 lakh hectares so far this year, as against 1,073.22 lakh hectares in the same period of last year, according to the latest data from the Agriculture Ministry. On a yearly basis, the sowing is largely steady, according to the data from the ministry.

Commodity-wise, paddy sowing is at 398.08 lakh hectares, as against 383.79 lakh hectares same period last year. Notably, India in July amended the rice export norms by putting Non-Basmati white rice, a major export item, in the "prohibited" category to maintain ample domestic availability.

Last Sunday, India also introduced additional safeguards on exports of basmati rice so as to prevent exports of non-basmati white rice, which is presently under the prohibited category.

As the Kharif sowing is at its last stage, the government recently said a quantity of 521.27 lakh tonne rice is being estimated for procurement during the forthcoming Kharif marketing season 2023-24 as against the previous year's estimates of 518 lakh tonne. Wherein 496 lakh tonne was actually procured during the 2022-23 season.

Coming back to sowing figures, for pulses, comprising Arhar, Urad, Moong, and Kulthi, among others, the sowing is, however, lower year-on-year. Agriculture ministry data showed the total pulses sowing so far this Kharif is 119.09 lakh hectares, as against 130.13 lakh hectares last year.

Further, the sowing of oilseeds, which groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesame, and others, too, were marginally lower at 190.11 lakh hectares, as against 191.91 lakh hectares.

Sugarcane farmers have so far sown crops across 59.91 lakh hectares, as against 55.65 lakh hectares last year, the farm ministry data showed.

India has three cropping seasons -- Summer, Kharif, and Rabi.

Crops that are sown during October and November and the produce harvested from January depending on maturity are Rabi. Crops sown during June-July and dependent on monsoon rains are harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops produced between Rabi and Kharif are Summer crops.