The biggest increases in acreage this kharif season come from water guzzling crops such as sugarcane and paddy. More resilient crops such as nutri-cereals — ragi, jowar, bajra — have dropped in acreage this year, Agriculture Ministry data reveals.
As on September 20, paddy has been planted over 2.5% more area than usual for the corresponding week. Sugarcane acreage is up a whopping 12% from the norm. On the other hand, the acreage of nutri-cereals has dropped 4.3%, despite the government increasing the MSP for these millets and allowing their inclusion in the Public Distribution System. The acreage of pulses has risen 16% compared to the average over the past five years, but has actually dropped by more than a percent from last year’s acreage.
Ashok Gulati, Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at ICRIER, pointed out that all sugarcane and a large chunk of the paddy harvest are procured by the government or bought at government-mandated prices. “So farmers’ market risk is covered.”
