Kharif sowing has picked up following an improvement in the progress of the southwest monsoon last week.
The average water level in major reservoirs in the country is also better than last week though still lower than last year in all regions except in the eastern region.
At 533.18 lakh hectares, the total kharif coverage is still lower by 26.87 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. By this time 729.13 lakh hectares had been sown in 2013-14.
The IMD on Friday said the cumulative rainfall this season has been 25 per cent below the Long Period Average than in the corresponding period last year. The worst affected is the northwest region which has a 36 per cent shortfall than average.
