MUMBAI (Reuters) - About 35 percent of standing crops in Maharashtra may be impacted if rainfall remains subdued for next seven days, the state farm minister said on Wednesday 12 August.

Rain clouds gather over western express highway in Mumbai - Photo: REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe/Files

"If there is no rainfall in next 7 days, crops planted over 4.5 million hectares area may be adversely affected. Production of soybean, cotton and some kharif pulses may be impacted drastically," Balasaheb Thorat told Reuters.

Maharashtra is the country's second biggest producer of cotton and soybean and the biggest producer of kharif pulses and sugar.

Farmers in the state have cultivated kharif crops on 12.6 million hectares, excluding sugarcane, as on August 10, agriculture department data showed.

Cotton and soybean together constitute about half of the normal sowing area in Maharashtra.

"In most parts of state there was no significant improvement in rainfall activity during last two weeks. Five districts in Marathwada are worst-hit. This situation may lead to stunted growth of crops," Prabhakar Deshmukh, state agriculture commissioner, told Reuters.

Marathwada is a region in central Maharashtra.

Overall, between July 28 to August 11, rainfall in the state has been 74 percent of normal compared to 85 percent during the same period a year ago, Deshmukh said.

Due to scanty rainfall, the state government last week declared a drought-like situation in 129 out of 355 talukas.

More talukas may be added to the list by Wednesday 12 August evening, a senior government official, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters.

"Yes, meeting of the cabinet sub-committee has been scheduled for today evening. Let us see what decision is taken by the committee (on declaring more talukas as scarcity hit)," Patangrao Kadam, the state's minister for revenue, rehabilitation and relief work told Reuters on Wednesday 12 August.

Deshmukh said sowing was completed in 99 percent of normal area and rainfall would be crucial factor for output of crops.

As on August 10, Soybean was cultivated on 2.97 million hectares, up 8.3 percent from 2.74 million hectares a year ago.

Cotton acreage has risen to 3.46 million hectares from 2.88 million hectares in the previous year, according to data from the agriculture department.

Pulses were sown on 1.94 million hectares, compared to 1.67 million hectares a year ago. Sugarcane was cultivated on 771,300 hectares, down 3.8 percent from a year ago, the data showed.

By Ramesh Jadhav