Since June 1, India has received 9 percent less than usual monsoon rains, while the gap in some places is as high as 58 percent. Summer crop sowing in India has lagged due to below-average rainfall, according to the government, increasing fears about food grain supply in Asia’s third largest economy.
India is the world’s largest rice exporter and the world’s largest importer of edible oils. A decrease in output might not only limit rice and cotton exports, but also increase imports of edible oils including palm oil, sunflower oil, and soyoil.
As of Aug. 20, Indian farmers had planted 104.4 million hectares (25.8 million acres) of summer crops, a 1.6 percent decrease from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
Farmers often begin planting summer crops on June 1, when monsoon rains arrive in India. Planting will then continue until the end of August.
“The area is down little, but the major issue is agricultural yields, as rainfall distribution has been unpredictable. Some places are experiencing a protracted dry period, whereas (a) a few pockets have been inundated “Nitin Kalantri, a merchant from Latur in the western state of Maharashtra, agreed.
Rice planting, the major summer crop, was 37.4 million hectares (92.4 million acres), a little decrease from the previous year’s 37.8 million hectares (93.4 million acres), according to the ministry.
The state-run India Meteorological Department predicts normal monsoon rains in 2021, while private weather forecasting service Skymet warned that the country may see below-average rainfall throughout the season.