Gujarat farmers begin advance sowing of Kharif crops on 26,000 hectares ahead of monsoon

Farmers in Gujarat have begun advance sowing of Kharif crops on more than 26,000 hectares of land as pre-monsoon showers and favourable weather conditions raise hopes of an early start to the agricultural season.

With western disturbances and cyclonic circulation systems triggering light rainfall and strong winds across parts of the state since May 30, farmers with access to irrigation facilities have started sowing ahead of the official arrival of the southwest monsoon.

According to agriculture department data, Kharif crops have so far been sown on 26,043 hectares across Gujarat, which has a total cultivable area of 85.30 lakh hectares.

Cotton accounts for the largest share of the advance sowing, covering 14,996 hectares, followed by groundnut on 7,965 hectares.

The highest level of advance sowing has been reported from Surendranagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Kutch and Gandhinagar districts, with Saurashtra-Kutch and North Gujarat emerging as the leading regions.

Traditionally, farmers begin large-scale sowing after receiving 2 to 2.5 inches of rainfall, with the Kharif season usually gaining momentum around mid-June. However, growers with assured irrigation facilities often commence sowing earlier to secure better crop establishment and potentially higher yields.

Agriculture experts said advance sowing allows farmers to take advantage of early moisture conditions and can result in earlier harvesting if rainfall remains favourable.

However, officials cautioned that crops sown before the onset of regular monsoon rains remain vulnerable. If adequate moisture is not available soon after sowing, seeds may fail to germinate or be damaged due to excessive heat and dry conditions.

As a result, many farmers in other districts continue to wait for more widespread and consistent rainfall before beginning sowing operations.

The pace of Kharif sowing is expected to accelerate significantly over the coming weeks as the southwest monsoon advances across Gujarat and rainfall activity increases.