Unprecedented farming activity in Rajasthan, which received more-than-normal rainfall during the ongoing monsoon season, has taken the total area going under cultivation in the country this week to a high of 878.23 lakh hectares (ha). This is 5 per cent more than normal for the week.

The total acreage covered in the corresponding week last year was 855.85 lakh ha.

Paddy has been sown over 280 lakh ha and pulses over 121.28 lakh ha by the end of the week, according to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture on Friday.

The area under pulses in Rajasthan has gone up to a record 32.5 lakh ha, surpassing both Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, known to be leaders in pulses cultivation. This is a whopping 19 lakh ha more than the area that normally goes under pulses cultivation in the desert State.

Pulses cultivation also picked up momentum in Madhya Pradesh, which covered an additional 10.60 lakh ha this week to take the total pulses area in the State to 24.7 lakh ha.

There is an unprecedented increase in the area under coarse cereals in Rajasthan, which has gone up to 47.47 lakh ha. The acreage under coarse pulses in the corresponding period last year in the States was 34.58 lakh ha.

Oilseeds cultivation

The cultivation of oilseeds, however, continued to be sluggish and the total oilseeds acreage so far is only 148.88 lkah ha.

This is 16.61 per cent lower for the week as compared to the previous year.

Much of the shortfall in acreage is reported from Madhya Pradesh (10.31 lakh ha) and Andhra Pradesh (3.15 lakh).

A nearly 18 per cent increase in cotton cultivation over 2016-17 is also reported for the week, with the total area of cotton cultivation going up to 111.34 lakh ha, compared to 94.48 lakh ha last year.

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