Kharif sowing lags behind last year

Farmers in India have planted fewer crops this year compared to last year.

As of 17 July, they have planted crops on 65.8 million hectares, which is 4.2 million hectares less than last year.

This is because the rain has not been evenly distributed, making it harder to plant crops in some areas.

Some crops like paddy, pulses, and oilseeds have seen a decrease in planting, while sugarcane has seen an increase.

Experts hope that if the rain improves, the planting gap will close, but if it doesn't, there might be less food and higher prices later in the year.