Monsoon Boosts Indian Rice Planting
6 July 2010 NEW DELHI, India — Planting of Kharif — the autumn harvest, or summer or monsoon crops — such as rice, soybeans and pulses should increase due to country-covering monsoon rains, with area planted to Kharif crops expected to be higher than the previous two years, reports the Press Trust of India. All India Rice Exporters Association President Vijay Sethia stated that the country-wide monsoon would boost all Kharif crops, including in Punjab and Haryana, where early sowing of basmati and non-basmati rice had been discouraged while waiting for the monsoon. The India Meteorlogical Department declared that the monsoon had covered the entire country about 10 days earlier than usual.
Sethia forecasts a record 100 million tonnes (mmt) of rice this season if there is a favorable monsoon. Last season, rice production declined to 89.31 mmt from a record 99.18 mmt the year before.
Rice has already been planted on about 4.64 million hectares (ha) — slightly higher than last year’s 4.54 million ha. The Indian government has a goal of 40 million ha of rice for 2010/11 Kharif season, compared with 36 million ha in 2009/10. More than 80% of India’s rice is grown during the Kharif season, which runs from the beginning of the monsoon in June through September.
Area planted to pulses is also expected to increase 10% due to good crop prices last year. Soybean area is expected to decline, however, as farmers waiting for better prices are still holding 12.5 mmt of stock from last year’s crop.
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