Kharif Sowing Affected by Rainfall Deficit Despite Monsoon Improvement

26-Jun-2026 07:12 PM

New Delhi: Although the status of the southwest monsoon has shown improvement over the past few days, the rainfall deficit compared to the long-period average remains above 41 percent. The monsoon has yet to reach several major agricultural states, even as the month of June draws to a close.

It appears unlikely that this rainfall deficit will be bridged during the current month; consequently, the sowing of Kharif crops is bound to be delayed. The monsoon's arrival in the western and central parts of the country has been delayed, and its northward progression is sluggish. This is hindering the cultivation of crops such as paddy, cotton, pulses, onions, and tomatoes. In Maharashtra, sowing has been possible on merely 1–2 percent of the normal average area, with the cultivation of paddy and cotton lagging significantly behind.

While the pace of Kharif sowing is expected to pick up in the coming weeks due to the recent improvement in monsoon rainfall, the final output will largely depend on the rainfall received in July and August. The Meteorological Department indicates that the monsoon could remain subdued for several days after mid-July. Rainfall distribution across various parts of the country has been highly uneven during the current month.

The country receives 65–70 percent of its annual rainfall during the southwest monsoon season, with the bulk of it historically occurring in the months of July and August. This year, rainfall between June 1 and June 25 was approximately 41 percent below the normal average, and the outlook for the period ahead does not appear promising either.

States such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha have witnessed a severe rainfall deficit, resulting in a very slow pace of Kharif sowing; Gujarat and Telangana are also among the affected states.