Overall kharif paddy sowing up 3.38pc so far, but coverage lags in 4 states

Total area sown to paddy has increased by 3.38 per cent to 283 lakh hectares so far in the current kharif season, but there is a lag in coverage in four states, according to the latest data released by the Agriculture Ministry. The area under paddy, which is a main kharif crop, was lagging in four states of Odisha, Karnataka, Assam and Andhra Pradesh. The crop was sown in 273.73 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

According to the Met Department, overall monsoon was 4 per cent higher from June 1 to August 2. In east and northeast India, there was a deficit of 24 per cent. However during the week ending August 2, there was 4 per cent deficit in monsoon rainfall in the country as a whole. The deficit in north-west India and east/north-east India alone was 19 per cent.

As per the ministry's data, the paddy coverage in Odisha was at 12.35 lakh hectares as on August 4 of the current 2023-24 kharif season as against 16.41 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. In Assam too, the paddy coverage remained lower at 12.45 lakh hectares so far as against 14 lakh hectares, while in Andhra Pradesh it was down at 5.48 lakh hectares as against 6.66 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. Similarly in Karnataka, the paddy coverage was down at 2.23 lakh hectares as on August 4 of the current kharif season, as against 3.24 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

However, in case of pulses, the area was lagging behind at 106.88 lakh hectares so far as compared to 117.86 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. The pulses coverage remained lower in the key producing states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Area sown to coarse cereals remained slightly better at 164.20 lakh hectares as on August 4 as against 162.43 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Oilseeds coverage too was marginally better at 179.56 lakh hectares so far as against 175.10 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. Among cash crops, sugarcane acreage remained higher at 56.06 lakh hectares as on August 4 of the current kharif season as against 54.67 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

But cotton area remained marginally lower at 119.21 lakh hectares as against 120.94 lakh hectares in the said period. Even the total area sown to jute/mesta remained slightly lower at 6.55 lakh hectares as on August 4 of this season compared with 6.94 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Total area sown to all kharif crops was higher at 915.46 lakh hectares as against 911.68 lakh hectares in the said period, the data showed.