Despite coronavirus pandemic and incessant rainfall, farmers have sowed kharif crop in an area of 1082.22 lakh hectare which is more than the 1009.98 lakh hactare of the corresponding period of last year. There has also been a substantial increase in planting of paddy in many States that received bountiful rains so far. This is despite dozens of States reeling under floods.
According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) latest forecast, India witnessed 9 percent more rainfall so far this monsoon season. It has received749.6 mm rainfall as against the normal of 689.4 mm.
As per the Ministry of Agriculture’s data released on Friday, the kharif crops areas acreage went by 7.15 percent so far while kharif plantation is still going on in several parts of the country.
The data showed that the total area under paddy so far is 389.81 lakh hectares, nearly 35.40 lakh hectare more than the 354.41lakh hectares covered in the same week last year.
There has been a substantial increase in planting of paddy in many States like Telangana, which has sown paddy over an additional 10.06 lakh hectare, Madhya Pradesh (5.23 lakh hectare), Bihar (5.22 lakh hectare) and Jharkhand (5.05 lakh hectare). Among the other States that have planted paddy in more area are West Bengal (4.48 lakh hectares), Odisha (3.16 lakh hectares) and Karnataka (2.18 lakh hectares) compared to same period last year.
Surprisingly, the paddy area in Punjab has come down by 1.78 lakh hectares from the last kharif season. Punjab, Nagaland, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir reported less plantation.
As far pulses are concerned, there is nearly 134.57 lakh ha area coverage under pulses as compared to 128.65 lakh hectare during the corresponding period of last year.
Thus 5.91 lakh ha more area has been covered compared to last year.