Cereal, Pulse And Oilseed Crop Sowing See Uptick Amid Monsoon

In the ongoing 2024-25 Kharif (summer) season, the area sown to paddy has increased by 19.35% to 59.99 lakh hectare, the Agriculture Ministry announced on Monday.

In the year-ago period, the area under paddy was 50.26 lakh hectare.

Sowing of paddy, the main Kharif crop, begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June, and harvesting takes place from September.

The area sown for pulses also increased to 36.81 lakh hectare till July 8 of the ongoing season, from 23.78 lakh hectare in the same period last year, according to the Ministry.

The coverage of 'arhar' has considerably increased to 20.82 lakh hectare from 4.09 lakh hectare, while 'urad' was sown on 5.37 lakh hectare as compared to 3.67 lakh hectare.

However, area under coarse cereals and 'Shree Anna' (millets) decreased to 58.48 lakh hectare from 82.08 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

Among coarse cereals, area under maize rose to 41.09 lakh hectare from 30.22 lakh hectare.

Area sown to oilseeds increased sharply to 80.31 lakh hectare so far this kharif season from 51.97 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

Among cash crops, area sown to sugarcane increased marginally to 56.88 lakh hectare from 55.45 lakh hectare, cotton acreage rose to 80.63 lakh hectare from 62.34 lakh hectare, while jute-mesta acreage remained lower at 5.63 lakh hectare as against 6.02 lakh hectare.

The overall area sown to all kharif crops remained higher by 14% at 378.72 lakh hectare, compared to 331.90 lakh hectare in the same period last year.

While the monsoon arrived early in Kerala, its progress has been sluggish so far, with below-normal rainfall in many regions. However, the India Meteorological Department has forecast above-average rainfall for the overall June-September monsoon season.

(With Inputs From PTI)