Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said there is a possibility to cover the current shortfall in acreage under kharif crops as sowing operations continue till mid-August. He asserted that the government is keeping a close watch on the rainfall situation and the ongoing sowing operations.“There is still time for sowing of Kharif crops. Sowing happens till mid-August. There was less rain during June but there has been good rainfall in the first week of July. There is a possibility of good rainfall after July 20,” Chouan said on the sidelines of a conference organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).Stressing that the government is keeping a close watch on the situation, he said that the Centre will ensure farmers receive all necessary inputs like seeds and fertilisers, in time. Expressing confidence of a recovery in sowing deficit, he said there are chances to recover.16% less coverageThe sowing area in on-going Kharif season has reached 531.25 lakh hectares (lh) as of July 10, which is 48 per cent of the season’s normal area of 1104.46 lh and 16 per cent less compared with 632.69 lh in the year-ago period.The pan-India seasonal rainfall since June 1 now stands 23 per cent below normal at 227 mm against its long period average (LPA) of 294.2 mm, with 21 subdivisions having 56 per cent share in the country’s total area are deficient, means those have received more than 20 per cent less than normal rain.Published on July 15, 2026