MARKET FOCUS: OUTLOOK FOR KHARIF CROPS IN INDIA

摘要

In India, crops are cultivated in two distinct seasons. Sometimes referred to as summer or monsoon crops, kharif crops are planted during the summer period and brought in during autumn. Rice is by far the most important kharif crop, while other cereals, oilseeds, pulses and sugarcane are also grown. Rabi crops (also known as winter crops), of which wheat is the most important, are sown in the winter and harvested during spring. Crops on the Indian subcontinent are fed by two monsoons, the north-east(October-December) monsoon and the far more important south-west (June-September) phenomenon. Usually arriving in the state of Kerala at the very end of May or the start of June, the latter provides as much as 80% of India's annual rainfall and assumes immense significance for kharif crops, as these are predominantly rain-fed. Aside from the volume, the timeliness and distribution of monsoon precipitation is profoundly important. In a typical year, kharif crops account for more than half of India's agricultural production.