With surplus rain recorded between June 30 and July 6, sowing of rice and pulses picked up pace with the total acreage under the two crops, since the beginning of June, exceeding last year’s levels for the same period.

The sharp decline in acreage under cotton and oilseeds, however, resulted in lower acreage under all kharif crops till July 8, at 406.27 lakh hectares, compared with 431.82 lakh hectares in the same period last year, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry.

“While cotton sowing has been affected to some extent by the white fly attack last year, the lower acreage in both cotton and oilseeds could be attributed to the slow progress of the monsoon in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. But with rainfall abundant in most parts of the country now, acreage is likely to improve for both,” an Agriculture Ministry official told BusinessLine .

The country received 35 per cent surplus rainfall in the week ended July 6 with all regions recording above-normal rainfall apart from the Peninsula, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Deficit erased The rainfall deficit of 11 per cent recorded till the end of June has hence been wiped out with the country now recording a 1 per cent surplus in the period starting June.

The acreage under rice till July 8 increased to 81.93 lakh hectares (77.31 lakh hectares) as States such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu witnessed a rise.

Cash crops Sowing of pulses increased to 45.93 lakh hectares till July 8 this year, from 36.44 lakh hectares in the same period last year with a major spurt in acreage in Karnataka, followed by Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Acreage under sugarcane also rose, although at a relatively lower level, to 45.78 lakh hectares (43.68 lakh hectares) as sowing in Uttar Pradesh posted a significant increase.

Cotton sowing dropped to 67.89 lakh hectares till July 8 compared to 87.83 lakh hectares in the same period last year, with the fall most pronounced in Maharashtra, where acreage declined to 18.97 lakh hectares (29.98 lakh hectares).

Oilseed coverage down The acreage under oilseeds was lower at 82.28 lakh hectares, compared to 101.15 lakh hectares in the same period last year, with Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra witnessing significant falls. Oilseed sowing in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana recorded a rise.

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Published on July 8, 2016