Farmers Planted 10% Lesser Summer Crops Than Last Year As Monsoon Recedes

India, one of the world's top agriculture producers, has received five per cent below average rainfall since June 1, when the four-month rainy season began.

Farmers have planted 49.9 million hectares (123 million acres) with summer crops, down 10.43 per cent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, as monsoon rains taper off after a strong start last month. Farmers typically start planting summer-sown crops on June 1, when monsoon rains usually reach India. Planting then continues until early August. Planting of rice, the key summer crop, was at 11.5 million hectares as of July 9 versus 12.6 million hectares in the previous year, the ministry said. The area planted with cotton was at 8.6 million hectares versus 10.5 million hectares the prior year. Planting of overall oilseeds, including soybean - the main summer oilseed crop - was at 11.2 million hectares, down from 12.6 million hectares the previous year.