Prospects of delayed kharif crop sowing and adverse impact on crop yield are looming large, as the southwest monsoon lost momentum after its onset earlier this month. Farmers in the rainfed regions of central India—especially Maharashtra (-82%), Jharkhand (-69%), Chhattisgarh (-67%), Madhya Pradesh (-48%) and Odisha (-47%)—are anxious because rainfall so far has been scanty or much below the benchmark long period average (LPA). If the monsoon does not revive and the deficiency is not bridged over the next few weeks, it would lead to considerable delays in sowing kharif crops such as pulses, oilseeds, paddy and cotton.