Indian farmers rush to plant summer crops as monsoon revives

Indian farmers have accelerated the planting of summer-sown crops, such as paddy, soybean, cotton, and corn, following above-average monsoon rainfall in July that came after a deficit in June, according to government data.

Summer rains, critical for economic growth in Asia's third-largest economy, usually begin in the south around June 1 before spreading nationwide by July 8, allowing farmers to plant summer crops.

But in June India received 11 per cent less rain than average, after the monsoon lost momentum in mid-June and delayed sowing.

In the first half of July there was 9 per cent more rainfall than normal which helped farmers to plant summer crops on 57.5 million hectares by July 12, a tenth higher than last year, according to Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare.

The lifeblood of the nearly $3.5 trillion economy, the monsoon brings nearly 70 per cent of the rain India needs to water farms and refill reservoirs and aquifers.

Without irrigation, nearly half of the farmland in the world's second-biggest producer of rice, wheat and sugar depends on the annual rains.

"Monsoon's revival will benefit summer crop planting and early-sown crops from June. Overall, the monsoon's revival in early July bodes well for crops and yields," said Ashwini Bansod, vice-president, commodities research at Phillip Capital India Pvt. Ltd.

Farmers have planted 11.6 million hectares with paddy, up 20.7 per cent on the same period last year, as record high prices prompted farmers to expand the area.

The farm ministry keeps updating the provisional sowing figures as it gathers more information from the state governments.