Sowing of kharif crops has been delayed due to less than normal pre-monsoon rains. According to the ministry of agriculture, along with the main crop, paddy, there is delay in pulses, oilseeds and cotton. Currently, Kharif crops have been sown in 90.62 lakh hectares, according to the agriculture ministry. And from this time until last year, 103.55 lakh hectares had been sown. So far, the country's monsoon rains have gone down by 42%. The main kharif crop is sown only in 6.30 lakh hectares in the current kharif season compared to 9.24 lakh hectares until last year. So far, sowing pulses in the current kharif have reached only 1.70 lakh hectares compared to last year's sowing of Kharif pulses in 3.38 lakh hectares. So far, coarse cereal sowing is only 7.40 lakh hectares in the current kharif compared to the 9.58 lakh hectare of last year. Source: Outlook Agriculture, 21 June 2019