Monsoon's Impact on Indian Agriculture

A farmer can be quite the poet when it rains. Farmers are skilled at interpreting signals such as the color of the sky, the presence of a rainbow, and other signals. Water is obviously necessary for fields, and Indian agriculture has a very special and powerful relationship with the rain or monsoons.

It affects the balance.
The monsoon is essential to Indian agriculture, yet this claim cannot be taken at face value. There are a lot of nuances in this:

• Rainfall on the land must occur at a specific time.
• The amount of rain must be accurate.
• Rainfall must last for the appropriate amount of time, and there must be sufficient infrastructure to collect and store the water.

A monsoon delay of even a few days might have considerable influence on agriculture. For instance, early rains will be advantageous for a farmer growing crops like soybean, cotton, rice, and pulses. The Southwest monsoon's timely arrival is essential for the kharif crops. In addition, kharif crops are monsoon crops that are grown and harvested during the monsoon season.

Western monsoon
This monsoon, which occurs from June to September, is responsible for over 75% of India's rainfall. A lot depends on this rainfall for kharif crops. Any change in the pattern of rainfall has a huge influence on farmers, their farms, and the economy.
The monsoon this year was about 15 days later than usual. As a result, less kharif crop is being planted or sown each year.

• Rice
• Groundnut
• Maize
• Cotton
• Bajra (pearl millet) and
• Ragi (finger millet) among others

The area planted has decreased by 12% from the previous year. On 151 million acres of land, farmers have planted their monsoon crops, but this is less than last year. In terms of planting, almost every crop is seeing a reduction.
However, there is some hope over the prospect for yields as a result of the monsoon's steady recovery. Yes, the nation will need to keep a close eye on the monsoon's development, but maybe the revival will also bring positive news.

What effects does the monsoon have?
The monsoons affect more than just the kharif crops and the abundant production of a land.

• Water resource replenishment and preservation in India
• Inflation
• Generation of electricity
• The government's expenditures on the budget

The significance of lowering Indian agriculture's reliance on the monsoons is fiercely disputed.
For instance, there has been improvement in the area of agriculture that is climate resilient. For the northeast, rice genotypes that can withstand heat are being created. The game-changing advances India needs may be drought- and flood-resistant crops that can also endure greater salinity levels.
The extent of irrigated area and irrigation infrastructure must be expanded as well. This will mark a departure from fields that are fed by rain. Drip irrigation, for instance, can both conserve water and function as a technique for supplying nutrients to plants.
Given that the monsoon influences about 50% of India's agricultural area, it is crucial to not only develop systems that can accommodate for unpredictable rainfall but also to not only wait for good rains.