India's Kharif sowing dip triggers rice price surge in Tamil Nadu

The Ministry of Agriculture reported that Kharif sowing this season fell 3% to 894.22 lakh hectares, covering only 81% of the normal area. The shortfall was most pronounced in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Haryana, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, while the India Meteorological Department recorded a 12% deficient southwest monsoon and persistent El Niño conditions.

In Tamil Nadu, the decline in paddy cultivation—especially in the Cauvery Delta, where cultivated area shrank to 2.2 lakh acres from 6.3 lakh acres—has pushed rice prices up by Rs 8‑10 per kilogram, with a 26‑kg bag now costing about Rs 1,800. Traders and farmers cite the poor harvest and water stress as drivers, while heat‑related losses have also lifted chicken and egg prices. The state is procuring additional rice from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana to ease the shortage.