Late monsoon cuts India's Kharif sowing 6%, pulses worst hit
This year's late monsoon and low water levels have put a real strain on India's Kharif sowing.
By July 17, farmers had planted about 6% less than last year: pulses took the biggest hit, dropping over 15%, with staples like tur, urad, and moong all down.
It's a tough start to the season for many growers.
India's crop sowings fall, reservoirs low
Coarse cereals like bajra and ragi saw sharp declines too, down 18.51% and 27.58%, respectively.
Oilseed sowing dropped by over 5%, cotton by nearly 6%.
Reservoirs across India are running lower than usual; even Mumbai's lakes are at 54.05% of capacity compared to last year.
And while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy rain in Mumbai today (July 21), most farming regions are still waiting for decent showers, raising concerns for food security and rural incomes if things don't improve soon.