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Kharif crop prospects look bleak as monsoon plays truant

Kharif crop prospects look bleak this time in view of inadequate and delayed monsoon in different parts of the country, but government said on Monday it is too early to jump to any conclusion.

"Monsoon started off well but lost steam in between. It may gather steam again," a top official said, adding it would be too early to conclude that the monsoon has failed.

He said the meteorological department has not given any indication so far that south-west monsoon rains would be deficient this time.

"It is not too late as yet for paddy and if monsoon revives in the next 15 days, there will be no negative impact on paddy at all," he said.

However, experts opined that the monsoon has virtually failed in many areas during the most crucial phase soon after the sowing of the kharif crops by the farmers.

This, they said, could adversely affect the output of foodgrains and other kharif crops. The shape and contour of the monsoon in the next week would play a significant role in deciding the prospects of kharif crops, they said.

Though the meteorological department had predicted a normal south-west monsoon for the 15th consecutive year, rainfall has not been satisfactory so far, officials and agricultural scientists say.

Only about 225 millimetres of rainfall has been recorded in the country since June one, which happens to be about 15 per cent below the historical long period average.

Regarding distribution of rains, they say 20 out of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions have recorded deficient rainfall.

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