Private weather forecaster Skymet on Monday issued an advisory, asking farmers in southern and central India to delay the sowing of certain crops because of the late onset of monsoon.
According to Skymet Weather, farmers in Maharashtra should sow crops such as cotton, soybean and lentils — tur, moong, urad — around June 15, and those in southern states, especially Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been advised to sow maize, tur and cotton after June 15. Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been asked to start sowing in the third week of June.
“This caution has been extended for the simple reason that sowing of crops at this point of time, when the onset of monsoon is delayed and chances of good rains are less, will only push up the cost for farmers and also hamper the yield of the crop,” Skymet Weather said in a statement.
Skymet also updated its monsoon onset forecast date by three days on Monday. The private forecaster had on May 14 put the onset date around June 4 with an error margin +/- 2 days but now it has delayed the date to June 7.
The normal date for monsoon onset over Kerala is June 1. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast that monsoon would hit the southern state on June 6 with an error margin of +/- 4 days.
{{/usCountry}}The normal date for monsoon onset over Kerala is June 1. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast that monsoon would hit the southern state on June 6 with an error margin of +/- 4 days.
{{/usCountry}}When asked if the Met department would also issue an advisory for farmers, DS Pai, senior scientist at IMD Pune, said, “IMD cannot advise farmers on what to do. It’s for the state governments to decide when they want to advise on sowing. Sowing will depend on location, irrigation facilities and other local factors. Rainfall in June as a whole can be below normal but there will be rainfall.”
IMD director general KJ Ramesh said, farmers need not worry because sowing of most monsoon crops happens in July. “Monsoon will arrive in good strength and there will be good rainfall,” he added.
National Agromet Advisory Service Bulletin, issued by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), states that monsoon rainfall will be weak between May 31 and June 13. “Monsoon will progress slowly after the onset with subdued monsoon condition will remain during the first half of June, 2019,” it said.