Kharif crop, also known as monsoon crop or autumn crop, is a domesticated plant that is cultivated and harvested in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh during the Indian subcontinents monsoon season, which lasts from June to November depending on the area. Kharif crops are typically sown at the beginning of the first monsoon rains and require good rainfall. The output of these crops depends upon the time and amount of rainwater. Rice, maize, bajra, jowar, soybean, and cotton are some of the major Kharif crops grown in India. Kharif crops stand in contrast to Rabi crops, which are cultivated during the dry season.

Kharif crops are dependent on the quantity of rainwater as well as its timing. Too much, too little, or rain at the wrong time may lay waste to the whole years efforts. Kharif crops are usually harvested from the third week of September to October, depending on the region. The Kharif season varies by crop and region, starting at the earliest in May and ending at the latest in January. In India, the season is popularly considered to start in June and end in October.

Kharif crops make up most of the agricultural produce in the coastal states of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam in India, and in the neighboring countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh. These are rain-fed crops heavily dependent on the southwest monsoon winds, accounting for 75% of India’s total rainfall.

Some of the major Kharif crops are:

• Rice
• Maize
• Sorghum
• Bajra
• Soybean
• Cotton