Kharif sowing was completed in 89 million hectares, or 84 per cent of the normal area, on Friday. According to data from the department of agriculture, the area covered under kharif crops in 2015 is now three per cent more than that of last year.

Among major crops in which the sowing area is less than last year, cotton stands out. Till Friday, the area under cotton was estimated at 10.9 million hectares, down from 11.7 million hectares sown during the same period last year. This has been mainly due to less rainfall in parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh - two main growing areas. Among other crops, oilseeds were sown in 16.4 million hectares, up from 16 million hectares in the year-ago period. Pulses were planted in 9.7 million hectares, up from 8.7 million hectares sown during the same period last year. Coarse cereals have been planted in 16.4 million hectares, up from 15.5 million hectares planted during the same period last year. Rice, the main foodgrain grown during the kharif season, has been sown in around 30 million hectares, up from 28.8 million a year ago. The overall shortfall in southwest monsoon as on August 14, 2015 stood at nine per cent, with parts of Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra staring at a drought-like situation unless there is a strong recovery in the next few days. The good news is that rains might resume over parts of Central and North-West India in the next three days and would also reach southern India by August 20, according to the Met department.

Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in its forecast said that Central India might get another spell of rains around August 25.

Eastern India is also expected to get rainfall after August 15.

Earlier this week, the Union Cabinet had cleared a Rs 300-crore package for weak rainfall in some parts of the country. This included Rs 100 crore for diesel subsidy to farmers.

Officials said that according to the proposal, farmers would be given a subsidy of 50 per cent on diesel for irrigation. The Kharif season accounts for 90 per cent of annual paddy production, 70 per cent of coarse cereals output, and 70 per cent of oilseeds production.