India, June 17 -- With the delay in the onset of the south-west monsoon, depleted moisture in the soil has kept the state's farmers from carrying out sowing activities, which normally commence by June 1. Agriculture department officials said that at least 10 cm of soil moisture was needed for seeds to germinate, and for this a minimum of 65 mm of rainfall was essential. Maharashtra received only about 28 mm of rainfall between June 1 and June 15.

Thanks to this grim situation, kharif sowing in Maharashtra has reached only about one-third of last year's level, with cultivation completed in just 1.43 lakh hectares till June 15-a steep 66% decline compared to the corresponding period in 2025 (although in 2025, heavy rainfall began in May it...