Sowing areas under all Kharif crops have almost completed and is around 98% of the normal area of about 1,097 lakh hectares or lh so far. According to the latest data released by the Agriculture Ministry, overall Kharif area stood at 1073.98 lh as of August 22 from 1038.58 lh year-ago, up around 3.50% on year.
The area coverage under Kharif season’s main cereal paddy has reached 420.41 lh from 390.80 lh a year ago, which is 7.6% higher than year ago. Area of pulses hit 112.77 lh from 111 lh year-ago, up marginally on year. Major pulses crop Arhar (pigeon peas) area fell by 1.8% on year at 43.98 lh.
The coverage of nutri/coarse cereals stood at 187.12 lh up by 6.4% on year. Maize area is up around 12% on year at 93.34 lh.
Oilseeds area stood at 182.38 lh, down by 2.8% on year. Soyabean acreage has slipped 3.8% to 120.11 lh from 124.88 lh and that of groundnut acreage dropped by 2.7 per cent to 45.30 lh. Sunflower area also tanked by 9% to 0.63 lh.
In other commodities, Cotton acreage declined 2.6% to 108.47 lh from 111.39 lh.