Paddy sowing in the ongoing kharif season has fallen 3.65 per cent to 379.07 lakh hectares (ha), against 393.44 lakh ha a year earlier, as deficient rainfall curbed coverage in Karnataka, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, according to the latest data released by the agriculture ministry on Monday.
Sowing of kharif crops, which typically picks up with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June, was delayed this year on account of El Nino conditions.
The ministry’s data showed the steepest fall in paddy acreage in Karnataka (down 2.86 lakh ha), followed by Jharkhand (2.26 lakh ha), Maharashtra (2.25 lakh ha), Odisha (2.09 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (1.64 lakh ha), Telangana (1.49 lakh ha) and Andhra Pradesh (1.14 lakh ha).
Pulses, oilseeds nearly at par
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Acreage under pulses and oilseeds, however, stayed close to year-ago levels. Pulses were sown across 108.14 lakh ha as on August 14, marginally lower than 108.49 lakh ha a year earlier.
Within pulses, arhar acreage slipped to 40.31 lakh ha from 42.01 lakh ha, and moong to 32.05 lakh ha from 33.42 lakh ha, while urad bucked the trend to rise to 23.52 lakh ha from 20.79 lakh ha.
Oilseeds sowing, having narrowed its earlier lag, covered 184.46 lakh ha – marginally lower than 185.36 lakh ha last year.
Coarse cereals, cash crops mixed
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Coarse cereals acreage was lower at 172.96 lakh ha, compared with 177.13 lakh ha a year ago.
Among cash crops, sugarcane area eased marginally to 58.31 lakh ha from 58.62 lakh ha, and cotton acreage dipped to 107.30 lakh ha from 108.26 lakh ha. Jute/mesta, however, rose slightly to 6.34 lakh ha from 6.23 lakh ha.
Rainfall deficit persists
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The overall monsoon deficit stood at 12 per cent till August 12, as per India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. The shortfall was sharpest in the east and north-eastern states at 26 per cent, followed by 19 per cent in the south peninsula and 11 per cent in northwest India.
