-Hindustan Times Planting of key kharif or summer-sown crops, which account for half of the country’s annual food output, was 1.5% lower on August 26 compared to last year, according to farm ministry data India’s food output is likely to fall after six straight record harvests, as extreme weather dented sowing of crops, such as rice and pulses, raising concerns about inflation and tight supplies, data from the farm ministry indicates. Planting of...

-Hindustan Times Parts of eastern and northeastern India, which recorded scanty rainfall in June and July, may not get adequate showers in the next two months as well, the weather office said, raising concerns over the kharif or monsoon crop. Rainfall during the second half of the southwest monsoon is likely to be normal, the India Meteorological Department predicted on Monday. In the first half, till July 31, it was 8% above...

-Down to Earth Number of ‘heavy rain’ days have gone up in recent years, finds IMD analysis Climate change might be behind the change in rainfall pattern in recent years, leading to regular floods. The rainfall pattern in the state has changed over the last decade, with a greater number of ‘heavy rain’ days.  Days receiving more than 65 millimetres of rainfall are called ‘heavy rainfall’ days. Western, eastern and southern districts of the...

-Down to Earth Dry June led to late paddy transplantation; More than half of targetted acreage lie uncultivated     A dry June followed by a rainy July might delay Kharif crops in Odisha this monsoon. Farmers in several districts, mainly the western and coastal areas, have yet to start paddy transplantation due to erratic rainfall. Through July 23, paddy was sown in 1.27 million hectares out of 3.5 million hectares planned by...

-Down to Earth Police stop farmers from using tube wells to irrigate their fields   India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, appears headed for a drought. Seventy-two of its 75 districts (96 per cent) recorded ‘below normal’ rainfall till July 20, 2022, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. Fifty-nine of the 75 districts recorded ‘extremely low’ rainfall. These districts are suffering a ‘large deficit’, which means they received less than 60 per cent...