Backed by good rain, kharif sowing area up by 21.2 per cent

Vibha Sharma

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 17

Backed by good rains and water storage in reservoirs, the sowing area in the ongoing Kharif season increased by 21.20 % amid the Covid crisis as compared to last year

According to the latest sowing data released by the Agriculture Ministry, as on July 17, the sown area is 691.86 lakh ha compared to 570.86 lakh ha area during the corresponding period last year. The maximum increase of a whopping 40.75 % has been registered by oilseeds and 32.35% by pulses

Till Thursday, actual rainfall received in the country was 338.3 mm against a normal of 308.4 mm, an increase of 10% in the period between June 1 and July 16. Till today, the live water storage available in 123 reservoirs in the country was 150% of live storage of corresponding period last year and 133% of storage of average of past 10 years, according to the CWC.

So far kharif crops have been sown in 691.86 lakh ha in the country compared to 570.86 lakh ha during the corresponding period last year, an increase of 21.20%.

Paddy has been sown in 168.47 lakh ha against 142.06 lakh ha last year, an increase of 18.59%, while pulses have been sown in 81.66 lakh ha against 61.70 lakh ha area last year, an increase in coverage by 32.35%,

Meanwhile, coverage of coarse cereals increased to 115.60 lakh ha against 103.00 lakh ha of last year, up by 12.23%; oilseeds to 154.95 lakh ha against 110.09 lakh ha last year, up by a whopping 40.75 %,

Sugarcane has been sown in 51.29 lakh ha against 50.82 lakh ha last year, an increase of 0.92%. So far as cotton is concerned, the coverage increased to 113.01 lakh ha area against 96.35 lakh ha of last year, a positive of 17.28 %.

In case of jute and mesta, the area covered is 6.88 lakh ha against 6.84 lakh ha of last year, an increase of 0.70%.