The total area sown under summer crops — rice, pulses, coarse cereals and oilseeds —is lagging behind by 5.77 lakh hectare so far, even as the window for planting in the ongoing kharif season is approaching closure, as per data released by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Sowing of kharif (summer) crops begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June and harvesting from October onwards. Almost 90% sowing is completed now. The Meteorological Department has projected “normal” monsoon, but so far there has been 6% shortfall, while quarter of the country’s mass has reported deficient rains.
As per the ministry’s data, total area sown with all kharif crops reached 1,013.83 lakh hectare as on today in the 2017-18 kharif season, down by 5.77 lakh hectare from 1,019.60 lakh hectare in the year—ago period.
Rice acreage was down at 358.28 lakh hectare as against 361.24 lakh hectare, while pulses area lagged at 135.96 lakh hectare as against 141.35 lakh hectare.
Similarly, farmers have sown coarse cereals in 178.85 lakh hectare so far this kharif season as against 182.61 lakh hectare in the same period last year, while that of oilseeds area in 164.24 lakh hectare as compared with 178.66 lakh hectare in the said period.
However, the sowing of some cash crops was higher so far, as sugarcane acreage rose to 49.78 lakh hectare from 45.64 lakh hectare in the said period on account of timely payment of cane arrears.
Also, cotton acreage reached 119.67 lakh hectare so far, higher from 102.54 lakh hectare achieved in the same period last year, but jute/mesta was sown in less area at 7.05 lakh hectare as against 7.56 lakh hectare.
