Monsoon magic to boost Kharif sowing

Delhi and its adjoining areas have been receiving good pre-monsoon showers for the past few days. Southwest winds are blowing across Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand, this has provided a boost in the sowing of major Kharif crops like paddy, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane and cotton.

According to Skymet Meteorological division, the Monsoon is expected to hit north India in the next few days. The conditions are favourable for further advancement of Southwest Monsoon into the remaining parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, most of Madhya Pradesh, some areas of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi during the next three to four days.

The rainfall for the period from 1^st June to 20^th June has been around 100 mm, which is 11 per cent above normal. The regions where pulses and oilseed are grown such as Marathwada, Vidarbha, Saurahstra, Kutch, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have recorded normal to excess rainfall so far. Some of the rice growing states which are contributing to the central grain pool like Telengana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have also got normal to surplus rainfall so far. However, states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have got deficient rainfall.

Image Credit: thehindu.com