With kharif sowing ending, India’s paddy acreage gains 4.3%

• 13 Aug, 2024
• India

Area under cotton, bajra and urad declines; sugarcane, arhar and oilseeeds coverage up

The acreage under paddy, the key cereal crop, has increased to 331.78 lh, which is 4.3 per cent higher than 318.16 lh a year ago | Photo Credit: UMESH S SHETTIGAR

The sowing of all kharif crops, barring paddy, has been completed on 979.89 lakh hectares (lh) as of August 9, which is up by 1.4 per cent from 966.40 lh a year ago, latest data of the Agriculture Ministry showed. The country’s normal area (last five years’ average) is 1,095.84 lh in the kharif season.

The acreage under paddy, the key cereal crop, has increased to 331.78 lh, which is 4.3 per cent higher than 318.16 lh a year ago. Nearly 83 per cent of the normal area under paddy has been covered until August 9.

Experts see the timely sowing as a good sign to expect a normal yield if other factors remain favourable in the next two months. The sowing of paddy in West Bengal, the leading producing State, continues until September due to its climatic conditions. However, by mid-August it gets almost over in all other States. The normal area under paddy in the kharif season is 401.55 lh.

Picking market signals

“Sowing of kharif crops is going well and for rice there is no need to be worried as it’s transplanting continues for a much longer period. Hopefully the bumper harvest will happen again,” said former agriculture commissioner JS Sandhu.

The sowing area under arhar has reached 44.57 lh, which is 16 per cent more than 38.49 lh a year ago. Higher prices in the open market are said to be the driving force for farmers to expand the area under the crop. The moong acreage has gone up by 10 per cent to 32.78 lh from 29.89 lh. But, the area under urad has dipped 4 per cent to 27.76 lh from 28.83 lh. Overall, the sowing of all pulses has increased to 117.43 lh, which is 7 per cent higher than 110.08 lh a year ago.

The area under maize has been higher throughout the season this year. It has surged to 85.17 lh, up by 8 per cent from 79.17 lh. The overall acreage of nutri-cereals (Shree Anna) and maize has gone up by 1 per cent to 173.13 lh from 171.36 lh.

Higher oilseeds acreage

The area under bajra (pearl millet) is lower at 65.69 lh against 68.81 lh a year ago while jowar coverage is 14.23 lh from 13.29 lh. Ragi area is down at 3.61 lh from 5.91 lh and that of small millets has gone up to 4.44 lh from 4.18 lh.

The area under cotton is down 9 per cent at 110.49 lh until August 9 against 121.24 lh a year ago. So far, 85 per cent of the normal area has been covered under cotton. The sugarcane coverage is almost complete and now at 57.68 lh from 57.11 lh a year ago. It is 113 per cent of normal acreage.

Soyabean coverage has crossed its normal area of 123 lh and reached 124.69 lh, which is 2 per cent more than 122.89 lh a year ago. The acreage of all oilseeds is now 1 per cent more at 183.69 lh from 182.17 lh a year ago. The groundnut coverage has further gained momentum by recording 8 per cent growth at 45.42 lh from 41.91 lh.

Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/with-kharif-sowing-ending-indias-paddy-acreage-gains-43/article68517124.ece