Kharif sowing gap narrows down to 1.82 per cent

The shortfall in area sown to all kharif crops so far this season has narrowed to 1.82 per cent from a year ago, even as paddy, the season’s dominant crop, continues to trail last year’s pace, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday.

As on August 7, kharif crops covered 967.92 lakh hectares, against 985.89 lakh hectares in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Paddy sowing stood at 344.78 lakh hectare, down 4.40 per cent from 360.67 lakh hectare a year earlier. Pulses and coarse cereals also lagged: pulses were sown across 103.78 lakh hectare (105.73 lakh hectare last year), while coarse cereals covered 168.50 lakh hectare against 173.21 lakh hectare. However, Oilseeds bucked the trend, with acreage rising marginally to 180.20 lakh hectare from 175.01 lakh hectare a year ago.

Among cash crops, sugarcane area slipped slightly to 58.31 lakh hectare from 58.62 lakh hectare, while cotton acreage was almost flat at 106 lakh hectare against 106.42 lakh hectare. Jute/mesta area rose to 6.32 lakh hectare from 6.22 lakh hectare.  Kharif sowing typically picks up with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June, but this year’s planting was delayed by a rainfall deficit linked to the El Niño weather pattern.

As on August 5, the all-India rainfall deficit stood at 11 per cent, per India Meteorological Department data.