The area covered by kharif crops has come down by nearly 8-lakh hectares (ha) to 1049.42-lakh ha compared to the previous year, according to the sowing data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.

Among the crops that witnessed subdued sowing till this week were arhar, soybean and groundnut apart from rice. While the area under arhar cultivation was down by 9.39-lakh ha to 43 lakh ha, soybean declined by 7.8 per cent to 105.76-lakh ha on an year-on-year basis. Urad, on other hand, witnessed 21 per cent jump to 42.65 lakh ha.

Rice, coarse cereals

Area under rice cultivation dropped to 374-lakh ha from 379.12-lakh ha last year as sowing was affected in drought-hit Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Groundnut cultivation, too, was down by 12 per cent to 41.36-lakh ha compared to last year. The drop in soyabean and groundnut acreage dragged the cumulative oilseeds cultivation by 8.8 per cent to 172-lakh ha.

The acreage under coarse cereals was also marginally down to 184.50- lakh ha against 188.40-lakh ha last year.

Kharif crops that were found to be the favourite of farmers during the season was cotton – its area increased by 19 per cent to 121.51-lakh ha and sugarcane increased by 9.44 per cent to 49.95-lakh ha. A record increase in cotton production could be expected as most farmers opt for Bt cotton other than the traditional varieties.

The area under Bt cotton is estimated at 108-lakh ha compared to last year’s 85-lakh ha.

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