Scanty monsoon rain in parts of peninsular India has put crops of soyabean, cotton, maize, pulses and jowar under moisture stress. Agriculture based industry is fearing a fall in acreage in the affected parts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, although the weather office has forecast improvement in monsoon rains in the second half of July. This comes even as kharif-season sowing in the country was up by 9% over the previous year, as per July 7 data from the agriculture ministry.