In a move to cover up lockdown losses, farmers across India have sown in around 31.56 million hectares so far, which was 104.25 per cent more than the same period last year. In just one week, the area under cultivation has gone up from 13.13 million hectares to 31.56 million hectares. According to Ministry of Agriculture’s data, acreage of almost all crops was higher than last year.
The biggest increase is in oilseeds, under which area has gone up by more than six times. The area under pulses has increased by up to three times. Central India, which has received the heaviest rainfall in the country this season, is a major area for these crops. In just one week, the area under cultivation has gone up from 13.13 million hectares to 31.56 million hectares.
The data showed that area under rice the main kharif crop, has increased to about 37.71 lakh hectare (ha) this year as compared to 32.05 lakh hectare during the
corresponding period of last year, an increase of 34 percent. Higher acreage of rice reported from Punjab (3.99 lakh hectare), Uttar Pradesh ( 2.63 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (2.15 lakh ha), Arunachal Pradesh ( 0.98 lakh ha) while less areas under rice cultivation are reported from Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Odisha, West Bengal and Karnataka.
Similarly Pulses were sown in around 1.94 million
hectares, as against 0.60 million hectares last year. The higher pulses cultivation reported from Maharashtra, MP, Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Gujarat while sugarcane sown higher from UP, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The data showed that about 49.69 lakh ha area coverage under sugarcane as compared to 47.77 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year.
Oilseeds were sown in around 8.33 million hectares till Friday, compared to 1.33 million hectares in the corresponding period last year. Cotton was sown in around 7.16 million hectares, compared to just 2.70 million hectares last year.
Coarse cereals were planted in around 4.79 million hectares, as opposed to 2.44 million hectares last year.
The Government has set a target of 149.92 million tonnes of food grain production in the current kharif season and 148.4 million tonnes in the rabi (winter sown) season, taking total food grains target to a record 298.3 million tonnes in the 2020-21 crop year.
The Met Department had predicted above normal monsoon this year.
India has received 174.6 mm rainfall, an increase of 22 percent so far as against the normal of 143.3 mm.
Till date, the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country, 12 days ahead of its normal onset.