Sowing of crops at this point of time, when the onset of monsoon is delayed and chances of good rains are less, will only push up the cost for farmers and also hamper the yield of the crop: Skymet.

Private weather forecaster Skymet has cautioned farmers in Maharshtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana against early sowing of crops as the monsoon onset is going to be mild and the progress is expected to be sluggish.

“This caution has been extended for the simple reason that sowing of crops at this point of time, when the onset of monsoon is delayed and chances of good rains are less, will only push up the cost for farmers and also hamper the yield of the crop,” Skymet said in a statement.

Skyment predicted the onset of monsoon over Kerala on June 7 against its earlier forecast of June 4. Normal onset date is June 1.

Jatin Singh, founder and managing director at Skymet, said about half of the food grain production in India comes from kharif crops.

Kharif is the major season for Maharashtra where crops like soybean, tur, moong, urad and cotton dominate the landscape.

Of these, tur and moong are sown in the initial days of June.

Sowing of cotton is also done at some places in the state during the early weeks of June.

Due to the delayed onset of monsoon, farmers who are dependent on rains are suggested to delay the sowing till second fortnight of June.