Kharif sowing slows amid patchy rains as paddy, oilseeds decline sharply

The brief

As of 10 July, farmers had sown kharif crops across 53.12 million hectares, down from 63.25 million hectares a year ago, according to government data. The sown area is also 1.8 million hectares below the normal acreage—defined as the 2021–25 average.