Monsoon rainfall is about 12% below normal this year, and paddy has been planted on 16.32 lakh fewer hectares than last year. Maize, soybean and cotton areas are also down.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said he does not expect a significant drop in kharif output. Floods damaged crops on about 6.11 lakh hectares across six states, and parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan face drought. Last year’s kharif foodgrain output was 174.14 million tonnes.