Paddy, one of the major crops of the State, has been raised in over 19.7 lakh acres of land so far this year.
The coverage is expected to go up in the coming weeks, with the northeast monsoon likely to arrive shortly, says a senior official of the Agricultural Department. Also, ordinarily, the State receives a significant share of the monsoon’s rainfall in November. The target for coverage through paddy for the current year is about 44 lakh acres.
On the corresponding day last year, the coverage was about 19 lakh acres. But, due to the drought, a total of nearly 50 lakh acres was hit throughout the State.
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As for millets, the State continues its impressive performance. The coverage is about 13.7 lakh acres against the target of around 23 lakh acres. Cholam and maize, two varieties of the crop, account for around 6 lakh acres and 4.25 lakh acres. As for pulses, 5.69 lakh acres have been covered against 23 lakh acres. As farmers normally wait till the end of the monsoon to raise pulses, the increase in coverage for the crop will be seen only from January.