Pulses acreage has fallen to 130.68 lakh hectares, from the earlier 135.42 lakh hectares. The total sown area of pulses has declined by 3.5 per cent in the ongoing Kharif season. The sowing of arhar and urad are declined in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Farmers in Maharashtra have shifted their crop from arhar to cotton this year. If the trend of lower planting of arhar persists, India could be back to scouting for the pulse in countries like Myanmar and Mozambique like it did during 2015-16 when a severe drought cut domestic output. According to a data released by the Ministry of Agriculture on Friday, the total sowing area of rice is marginally up at 341.58 lakh hectares.
As per data, Arhar sown only 12.568 lakh hectare of land as compared to 14.814 lakh hectare in 2016 in Maharashtra. As per reports, farmers have shifted their crops from pulses to cotton. Besides, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat have reported pulses acreage less this year.
According to data, Tur production is likely to remain lower by 10.19 percent in Maharashtra compared last year, despite results of possible better yield rate in Vidarbha region due to timely rainfall and irrigation remittances the farmers. Fall in production forecast is the result of lower yield rate in Marathwada due to dry weather which led to lower crop height and adversely affected final yield rate. Marathwada contributes to more than 58 percent production in the state as a whole. Hence, lower total Tur production in the state. The pulses shortage in 2015-16 saw imports rise to 5.8 million tonne, or a third of the production. In the oversupply year of 2016-17, exports remained banned.
Sowing operation in the kharif season begins normally with the onset of the south-west monsoon and picks up pace from July. Paddy, tur, moong, urad, soyabean, sunflower seed and cotton are the main crops grown during this season. With monsoon rains expected to be normal this year, the government is targeting yet another bumper foodgrain and horticulture production in the new crop year 2017-18.
"The total sown area as on August 18, as per reports received from states, stands at 976.34 lakh hectares compared to 984.57 lakh hectares at this time last year," said officials of the Ministry of Agriculture. Rice has been sown in 341.58 lakh hectares so far this kharif season as against 340.14 lakh hectares in the same period last year.
According to officials of Agriculture Ministry, in Bihar, more than 15 districts are affected due to flood and crop damage area report is still awaited. In Tamil Nadu, rice acreage is less due to deficient rainfall and deteriorating water tables in the state while rice coverage area are affected in some parts of Assam due to flood while some parts are badly affected due to deficient rainfall. Karnataka is severally affected from drought this year. In Punjab and Maharashtra, farmers have shifted from rice to other crops.
As per data, area under coverage for coarse cereals stood at 171.75 lakh hectares as against 179.17 lakh hectares. Oilseeds area is down at 157.36 lakh hectares, from 175.10 lakh hectares. In the case of cash crops, sugarcane has been sown in 49.78 lakh hectares so far this season against 45.64 lakh hectares in the year-earlier period while that of cotton stands at 118.14 lakh hectares as against 101.54 lakh hectares. Jute and mesta area is down to 7.05 lakh hectares, from 7.56 lakh hectares.