This Kharif season, farmers in India have planted less paddy. According to the most recent acreage data, the area under paddy cultivation is more than 13% lower than the previous Kharif season. Kharif crops are mostly sown during the monsoon season (June and July), and harvested between October and November.
Farmers had planted paddy on 23.15 million hectares as of July 29, compared to 26.70 million hectares the previous season.
The primary cause of the decrease in sown area is the slow progression of the monsoon in June and its uneven spread in most parts of the country in July.
Rice-producing states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Assam, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana saw reduced sowing. This year has also seen a drought in many of these states.
Overall, Kharif sowing has been relatively good. At 82.34 million hectares, it is only 2% lower than in 2021. According to data from the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, total sowing in 2021 will cover 84.16 million hectares.
The government has stated once again that there is no shortage of wheat in the central pool. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently stated in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, "As of 01.07.2022, the actual stock of wheat is 285.10 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT) versus the Buffer norm of 275.80 LMT."
However, many are concerned that the reduced area under paddy cultivation will result in low paddy production this year, causing a double whammy for India. In May 2022, the Centre revised its wheat export policy, placing it in the "prohibited" category due to potential food security risks.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has resulted in a decrease in supply and an increase in the price of staple food grains. Wheat production in Ukraine is expected to fall 41%, or 13.5 million tonnes, year on year in the 2022-23 season, according to the US Department of Agriculture's latest report.
According to reports, wheat farming and trading in Ukraine have been impacted since Russia's invasion of the country earlier this year. Ukraine and Russia are two major wheat suppliers, and global prices have risen significantly in recent months. Prices in India are also rising, and they are currently trading above the minimum support level.
