logo
Indian farmers accelerate summer crop sowing amid strong monsoon

Indian farmers accelerate summer crop sowing amid strong monsoon

Reuters6 days ago
MUMBAI, July 21 (Reuters) - Indian farmers have accelerated the planting of summer-sown crops such as paddy, soybeans, cotton and corn, following above-average monsoon rainfall in July which increased the moisture levels required for sowing, according to government data.
The monsoon is the lifeblood of India's nearly $4 trillion economy, delivering almost 70% of the rainfall needed to water farms and replenish aquifers and reservoirs.
Nearly half of India's farmland is not irrigated and depends on the annual June-September rains for crop growth.
The country has so far received 6% more rainfall than normal since the start of monsoon season on June 1, which helped farmers to plant summer crops on 70.83 million hectares (175 million acres) by July 18, up 4.1% from the last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
Farmers have planted 17.67 million hectares with rice paddy, up 12.4% on the same period last year, as a hike in support prices prompted farmers to expand the area.
India is the world's biggest exporter of rice and the top importer of edible oils such as palm oil and soyoil.
Farmers planted soybean on 11.17 million hectares, down from last year's 11.9 million hectares but having accelerated in the last week. Corn was planted on 7.1 million hectares, up from 6.17 million a year earlier.
The cotton area was 3.4% lower at 9.86 million hectares, having also seen an increase in the past few days, while pulses planting rose by 2.3% from a year ago to 8.2 million hectares.
The farm ministry keeps updating the provisional sowing figures as it gathers more information from the state governments.
Farmers are inclined to expand the area under paddy as the government buys large quantities at state-fixed support prices, which is not the case for other crops, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm.
"So far, the weather's been pretty good for crops, except in a few parts of north-eastern India. If the monsoon stays strong next month, we could be looking at a bumper harvest across the country," he said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US and EU agree trade deal - with bloc facing 15% tariffs on goods into America
US and EU agree trade deal - with bloc facing 15% tariffs on goods into America

Sky News

time13 minutes ago

  • Sky News

US and EU agree trade deal - with bloc facing 15% tariffs on goods into America

The United States and European Union have reached an agreement on a trade deal, says Donald Trump. The announcement was made as the US president met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at one of his golf resorts in Scotland. Speaking after talks in Turnberry, Mr Trump said it was the "biggest deal ever made" and will be "great for cars" as well as having a "big impact" on agriculture. The US will impose 15% tariffs on EU goods entering America, after Mr Trump had threatened a 30% levy. He said there will be $600bn of EU investment in the US, the bloc will buy $750bn of US energy and will also purchase American military equipment. Mr Trump said: "I think it's great that we made a deal today instead of playing games and maybe not making a deal at all." "I think it's the biggest deal ever made." Ms von der Leyen said: "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world and it's a big deal, it's a huge deal. It will bring stability, it will bring predictability, that's very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic." She said the agreement would include 15% tariffs "across the board inclusive", and it would help rebalance trade between the two large trading partners. Mr Trump had earlier said the main sticking point was "fairness", citing barriers to US exports of cars and agriculture. He went into the talks demanding fairer trade with the 27-member bloc and threatening steep tariffs to achieve that, while insisting the US will not go below 15% import taxes. For months, Mr Trump has threatened most of the world with large tariffs in the hope of shrinking major US trade deficits with many key trading partners, including the EU. In case there was no deal and the US had imposed 30% tariffs from 1 August, the EU has prepared counter-tariffs on €93bn (£81bn) of US goods. Ahead of their meeting on Sunday, Ms von der Leyen described Mr Trump as a "tough negotiator and dealmaker".

US and EU agree landmark trade deal after months of talks, Donald Trump says
US and EU agree landmark trade deal after months of talks, Donald Trump says

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

US and EU agree landmark trade deal after months of talks, Donald Trump says

DEAL REACHED US and EU agree landmark trade deal after months of talks, Donald Trump says The US and EU have agreed on a trade deal, says US President Donald Trump. Trump announced the deal as he hosted EU chief Ursula von der Leyen at one of his golf resorts in Scotland. Advertisement 1 Trump says the US and EU have reached a trade deal Credit: Reuters "We have reached a deal. It's a good deal for everybody," Trump said. "It's going to bring us closer together... it's a partnership in a sense," he added. Meanwhile, von der Leyen hailed it as a "huge deal", which came after "tough negotiations". The US and EU have longed enjoyed one of the world's largest trade relationships. Advertisement Total trade in goods between the EU and US totalled around $975.9bn (£751.4bn) in 2024, estimates say. The US imported about $606bn (£451bn) worth of goods from the EU and exported around $370bn (£276bn) last year. Trump has said this trade deficit means the US is "losing". More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Advertisement Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun

Why your matcha latte is about to get a lot more expensive
Why your matcha latte is about to get a lot more expensive

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

Why your matcha latte is about to get a lot more expensive

Matcha prices are soaring due to record temperatures in Japan and a significant increase in global demand. Japan's Kyoto region, a key producer of tencha (the base for matcha), experienced severe heatwaves last summer, resulting in weak yields during the recent April-May harvest. The popularity of matcha has surged, with sales in the UK rising by 202 per cent in 2023, driven by social media trends and Japan's post-pandemic tourism boom. Farmers are reporting reduced harvests, and importers are struggling to meet demand, with some cafes experiencing rapid stock depletion. New US tariffs of 15 per cent on Japanese imports are anticipated to further increase matcha prices, despite concerns from distributors who argue the product should be exempt.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store