Kharif sowing picks up across Maharashtra after July rains

Kharif sowing in Maharashtra covered 1.03 crore hectares, or 71% of the state's average Kharif-cultivable area of 1.44 crore hectares, following widespread July rains.

Sowing was limited to just 1.43 lakh hectares in mid-June due to a weak monsoon, marking a sharp turnaround.

The current pace lags behind last year, when nearly 85% of sowing was completed by the same time.

State agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne attributed the improvement to widespread rainfall since early July, though some districts like Pune, Solapur, and Nandurbar remain below 50% sowing.

Maize sowing (9.58 lakh hectares) is 3% above normal, while tur (9.6 lakh hectares) is at 75% of normal area, and mung and urad are at about 37% of normal cultivation.