Sowing operations for India's winter crops are progressing well and the pace of the monsoon, the lifeline of Asia's fourth-largest economy, is not a matter of concern, the farm minister said on Tuesday. The slow pace of the June-September monsoon in the first three weeks had led to fears sowing operations in July, a crucial month for cultivation, could be hit as large parts of central and western India depend on rains for irrigation.
But the monsoon picked up after that and spread to more than three-quarters of the country, leading to increased sowing of winter crops. "By and large, reports are good. Sowing is in full swing in Punjab and Haryana.
In southern parts also reports are good," Shared Pawar told reporters. "The monsoon is not a cause for concern as of now," Pawar said. "Weather conditions are improving and I expect good rains in the month of July."
Pawar said the area under sugarcane and cotton cultivation had increased. Groundnut, soyabean, cotton, sugarcane and rice are major winter crops sown in June and July and harvested in October and November.
Cotton, groundnut and sugarcane are mainly grown in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat and the northern state of Utter Prudish.
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