Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 8/1/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** IN5084

IN5084

**India**

**Agricultural Situation**

**Monsoon Progress Report No. 5**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Chad Russell

U.S. Embassy

**Prepared by:**

A. Govindan

**Report Highlights:**

Monsoon situation continued to improve over the entire country, although
unprecedented floods caused heavy losses of human lives and property in
Maharashtra.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

New Delhi \[IN1\]

\[IN\]

During the week ending July 27, the monsoon remained active mostly in
the peninsular India. Unprecedented heavy rains fell over most parts of
Maharashtra, resulting in severe floods in many areas, including India's
largest city of Mumbai and it's surrounding suburbs. In addition to
disrupting normal life, floods resulted in about 900 deaths and heavy
losses to business and property in the state, the latter estimated at
over rs. 10 billion (\$230 million).

Weather subdivisions, which received scanty rains (below 60 percent of
the normal rains) were Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch, Rajasthan, Kerala,
Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. Rains were also deficient (20 to
59 percent below normal) in Tamil Nadu, Assam and Meghalaya, East and
West Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, West
and East Madhya Pradesh. Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, and Chattisgarh,
which were experiencing prolonged dry weather conditions, received near
normal rains this week, which should aid planting of crops, mostly rice.
Gujarat, which was earlier ravaged by floods, remained dry for the third
consecutive week, which should aid planting and\\or replanting of major
crops like peanut and cotton in the state.

Cumulative rainfall from June 1 to July 27 was normal or above normal in
31 of the 36 weather subdivisions, compared with 29 a week ago and 19
during the corresponding period of last year (Fig. 1). Weather
subdivisions, which received below normal cumulative rainfall, are
Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland,
all predominantly rice growing regions. The all India area-weighted
rainfall during June 1 to July 27 was 426.4 millimeter, two percent
above normal.

Progressive planting reports compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture
show that area coverage is lagging behind last year's level in the case
of most crops, except sugarcane, soybeans, sorghum, and millet (Table 1)
due to the late arrival of the monsoon. However, following excellent
rains in recent weeks, planting is likely to pick up and match or exceed
last year's level.

Fig. 1. Cumulative Rainfall from June 1 to July 27, 2005

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="6.020833333333333in"
height="7.364583333333333in"}

Table 1. Progressive Planting of Kharif crops (in 100,000 hectares)

+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+
| Crop        | Normal   | Area      |            |                 |
|             | area     | Coverage  |            |                 |
|             |          | (as       |            |                 |
|             |          | reported  |            |                 |
|             |          | on July   |            |                 |
|             |          | 27)       |            |                 |
+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+
|             |          | This Year | Last Year  | Difference      |
+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+
| ## Rice     | 399      | 143.55    | 169.78     | -26.23          |
+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+
| Cotton      | 87       | 63.52     | 67.52      | -4.00           |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+
| Coarse      | 225      | 144.51    | 139.00     | +5.51           |
| Cereals of  |          |           |            |                 |
| which       | 47       |           |            |                 |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Sorghum     | 90       | 27.15     | 25.44      | +1.71           |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Millet      | 58       | 55.20     | 44.78      | +10.42          |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Corn        |          | 54.44     | 59.71      | -5.27           |
+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+
| Sugarcane   | 43       | 41.29     | 37.49      | +3.80           |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Jute        | 9        | 7.88      | 7.69       | +0.19           |
+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+
| Total       | 152      | 119.54    | 123.98     | -4.44           |
| Oilseeds of |          |           |            |                 |
| which       |          | 38.41     |            |                 |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Peanut      | 56       | 62.84     | 45.40      | -6.99           |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Soybeans    | 63       | 3.42      | 58.73      | +4.11           |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Sunflower   | 5        | 9.98      | 5.64       | -2.22           |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Sesame      | 16       | 0.37      | 10.83      | -0.85           |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Niger       | 5        | 4.53      | 0.60       | -0.23           |
|             |          |           |            |                 |
| Castor      | 8        |           | 2.77       | +1.76           |
+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+
| Total       | 102      | 57.15     | 68.09      | -10.94          |
| Kharif      |          |           |            |                 |
| Pulses      |          |           |            |                 |
| Arhar       |          |           |            |                 |
|             | 34       | 18.83     | 26.61      | -7.78           |
+-------------+----------+-----------+------------+-----------------+

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, GOI