New Delhi: The nationwide deficit of monsoon rainfall has crossed 40%, as per Indian Meterological Department data, compounding the worries of farmers across India. The Union government and some states have asked farmers to wait until rainfall accumulates to the 75–100 mm mark before they begin sowing.The total acreage is at 182.72 lakh hectares as of June 24, down 23% compared to 236.46 lakh hectares a year earlier, says a report in the Hindu Business Line.However, the scattered showers and thunderstorms experienced in much of the central plains are pre-monsoon showers that may not reliably germinate seeds, farmers are being warned. On June 26, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in a public address that farmers should desist from sowing water-intensive crops in rainfed areas.“I am not trying to scare you, but as the agriculture minister it is my duty to tell you… All weather specialists are saying that there will be low rainfall this year. Plant such crops that require less water for irrigation and which can prosper in low water availability, so that we can save those crops,” he said, especially addressing farmers who do not have access to canal water.The government recently identified 111 districts as most vulnerable because they have less than 25% irrigation, Chouhan said in a briefing on June 23.The delay in sowing has struck a variety of crops across the Kharif regions from Maharashtra to Punjab. Paddy has declined 25%, pulses are down 30% and oilseeds by 53%, as per a report in the Economic Times. Millet, a cereal that requires less water than most grains, has also been planted at 11% below the usual levels at this time of year.Among pulses, tur (arhar) sowing stood at 3.56 lakh hectares against 8.45 lakh hectares. The sowing of soybean, an oilseed, has also remained at 6.92 lakh hectares, down from 19.97 lakh hectares a year earlier. Only sugarcane, jute and mesta acreage are slightly higher compared to the last season, the HBL reports.Reports say the average rainfall by June 25 was 92.2 mm, compared to the normal average of 157.7 mm.However, even if June rainfall catches up in terms of the average across India, it is unlikely to correct the regional variations leading to severe shortfalls in some parts of the country. While Central India has recorded a rainfall deficit of 59%, east and northeast India at 41% shortfall each, northwest India at 30%, and southern India at 28%, says a MoneyControl report.Farmers in Punjab and Haryana face a double whammy of shortfall in rainfall as well as of fertilisers – earlier in June, the farmers protested in both states saying DAP (a nitrous fertiliser) and urea fertiliser were unavailable in required quantities. A report in the Indian Express says such protests occur every year, but the farmers are additionally concered about shortages caused by the West Asia conflict in this season.The prime minister had asked farmers to reduce fertiliser consumption by 25–30–40–50% in a speech delivered on May 11, in light of the “crisis” caused by the war.According to IMD, the delay in rainfall will continue until the middle of this week (June 2). Temperatures, meanwhile, will continue to soar at over 40 degrees celsius, even in most parts that receive isolated showers.Reservoir storage has also fallen below last year’s levels, says a report. The CWC, which monitors the live storage status of 166 major reservoirs across the country, reported that the reservoirs collectively held 26.37% of their total live storage capacity of 183.565 BCM. The current storage is significantly lower than the 66.114 BCM recorded during the corresponding period last year, representing 73.21% of last year’s level.