Paddy sown in 60 pc of kharif season's average area

Paddy sowing increased marginally to 23.75 million hectare so far in the ongoing kharif season and has covered around 60 per cent of the season's average acreage under this major crop. Paddy, a major kharif crop, is cultivated in an average area of 40 million hectare during the kharif season. More than 80 per cent of the country's total rice production is grown during the kharif season.

According to the latest data of agriculture ministry, paddy sowing remained slightly higher at 23.75 million hectare till July 28 of the ongoing kharif season compared to 23.32 million hectare in the year-ago period. However, the area under paddy coverage was lagging in dozen-odd states with huge gaps in sowing areas in Odisha, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh so far.

For instance in Odisha, paddy was sown in 8.71 lakh hectares till July 28 of the kharif season against 12.70 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, the data showed. On the other side, paddy sowing in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh remained higher than the year-ago period. Monsoon rains have been 7 per cent more during the June 1 to July 28 period and 34 per cent more in northwest India, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Besides paddy, pulses sowing was undertaken in 9.68 million hectare till July 28 of the ongoing kharif season, lower than 10.91 million hectare a year ago. The area under coarse cereals remained marginally up at 14.57 million hectare against 14.34 million hectare in the said period. Even area sown to oilseeds remained higher at 17.10 million hectare till July 28 of the ongoing kharif season compared to 16.76 million hectare in the year-ago period.

Among cash crops, sugarcane area was up at 5.6 million hectare, while cotton acreage was down at 11.67 million hectare till July 28. However, the area sown to total kharif crops remained lower at 83.03 million hectare so far in the ongoing season against 83.16 million hectare in the year-ago period, the data showed.