Also: kharif, rabi, zaid, cropping seasons of India
Definition
India's three main agricultural seasons, set by the monsoon and temperature cycle: kharif crops sown with the south-west monsoon (June–July) and harvested in autumn, rabi crops sown after the monsoon (October–November) and harvested in spring, and the short zaid season between rabi and kharif in summer.
Deep-dive lesson:Cropping Patterns, MSP and Food Management. This page is a quick reference that connects the term across subjects; read the lesson for the full treatment.
The calendar is not fixed by dates alone but by the arrival of rain and the fall of temperature, which vary across the country. In the north-west, cool winters with occasional rain make rabi the main season for food grains, while in the east and south, where winters are mild and water is abundant, rice can dominate both seasons. The hill states have their own calendar, with many crops sown in spring after snowmelt.
Indian agriculture follows the rhythm of the monsoon. When the south-west monsoon arrives in June, farmers sow crops that need warmth and plenty of water. These ripen as the rains end and are harvested in autumn. As temperatures fall after the monsoon, a second set of crops is sown using residual soil moisture, irrigation and, in the north-west, winter rain from western disturbances; these are harvested in spring. Between the two, a short hot season allows quick-growing crops where irrigation exists.
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