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Our Bureau

Chennai , June 30

THE below normal monsoon activity has so far resulted in kharif sowing of almost all crops being hit barring cotton, jute and sugarcane.

Oilseeds, especially groundnut and soyabean, are the main crops lagging behind as the growing areas in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh had received deficient rainfall at least till the third week of June.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, there has been excess rainfall in only five of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions in the country, while it has been scanty or deficient in the rest of the areas.

As per the Ministry's data, oilseeds coverage has declined by 5.95 lakh hectares in the first fortnight of June from 9.62 lakh hectares (lh) during the corresponding period last year.

While groundnut sowing is down 2.89 lh to 1.94 lh, soyabean coverage has declined 1.20 lh to 17,000 hectares.

Almost all States where groundnut and soyabean are cultivated have reported a decline in area. Similarly, there has been a decline in coverage of sesame, nigerseed and castorseed.

Deficient rainfall in Punjab has resulted in the State reporting a 3.6-lh fall in coverage of rice. This is out of a total decline of 4.53 lh in the country. The area under rice is down to 11.75 lh.

With farmers in Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu planting cotton vigorously, its area is up 1.89 lh to 15.80 lh.

Also up is the coverage of sugarcane by 72,000 hectares to 35.45 lh. Jute sowing has increased marginally to 7.86 lh (7.69 lh last year).

Sowing in coarse cereals is down 5.54 lh to 8.44 lh with area under jowar rising, but that under bajra and maize declining.

Sowing in pulses is down to almost half at 1.3 lh, with the area under arhar dipping to 24,000 hectares from 47,000 hectares.

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