With just about a week left for the current season to end, the southwest monsoon continues to be active in many parts of the country, benefiting standing crops.

The kharif sowing season, too, is nearing its end.

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Though the final picture of crop planting is not yet available, data supplied by states indicate substantial expansion in the cropped area this season, compared with last year's drought-driven poor planting and long-period sowing trends.

The crop stand, too, is excellent in most areas, barring a handful of deficient rainfall pockets, notably in interior Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

According to the India Meteorological Department, monsoon precipitation between June 1 and September 17 was normal or excess in 33 of the 36 meteorological subdivisions.

This situation is deemed to be the best in the past five years.

Despite being in withdrawal, the monsoon brought heavy showers during the week ended September 17 in Goa, parts of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and the Northeast. Moderate rainfall was recorded in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka.

However, 12 subdivisions received scanty rainfall during this week, largely because the monsoon has withdrawn from the northwestern region.

Thanks to the good rainfall, water storage in the 70 major reservoirs rose to 58 per cent of the full capacity and 81 per cent of the last 10 years' average, against 11 per cent of the full capacity and 65 per cent of the last 10 years' average till June this year.

These reservoirs had 11 per cent more water on September 12, against last year.

While the sowing of most kharif crops is nearing completion, that of rice, the most important staple cereal, is still apace.

Till September 15, the crop had been planted over 34.9 million hectares, over 4 million hectares more than in the last season. About 86 per cent of the normal area under paddy had been seeded by the middle of this month.

The acreage under coarse cereals has risen more than 4 million hectares this season, from 18.5 million hectares last year to 22.6 million hectares till mid-September this year.

The bulk of this is accounted for by bajra, though jowar and maize have also gained in acreage.

The area planted with jowar is assessed at 4.2 million hectares, against 3.8 million hectares last year, while that with maize is about 6.9 million hectares, against 6 million hectares last year.

The area sown under bajra is estimated at 9 million hectares, against 6.6 million hectares last year.

Rajasthan, which has had an exceptionally good monsoon this year after a consistent poor performance in the last few years, is slated to bag a record bajra harvest of nearly 3 million tonnes this year.

On the request of the state government, the Centre has directed the Food Corporation of India to procure bajra in Rajasthan in the ensuing kharif marketing season to avert distress sale by growers.

Among oilseeds, soyabean has witnessed the maximum area expansion.

The crop is reported to have been planted over a record 6.9 million hectares this year, against 5.7 million hectares last year.

Groundnut acreage is said to be more or less the same as last year at 5.3 million hectares, though the crop condition is much better.

The total acreage under kharif oilseeds is around 15.2 million hectares, against 13.6 million hectares last season.

Pulses, too, have gained substantially in acreage this season.

The area under these crops is estimated at 12.2 million hectares, over 2 million hectares more than last year. Tur, the main kharif lentil, has been planted on about 3.7 million hectares, against 3.4 million hectares last year.