Data released by the Agriculture Ministry show that sowing for the Kharif season is down 7.4 per cent this year as compared to the same period last year, mainly driven by a fall in acreage of coarse cereals like jowar, bajra and ragi.

As of Friday, kharif acreage touched 91.61 lakh hectares (lh) down from 98.88 lh registered in 2014-15.

However, acreage of rice, pulses and oilseeds, have risen marginally while coarse cereals like jowar and ragi have witnessed a sharp fall.

Rice has been sown across 8.33 lh against 8.2 lh earlier while pulses have a recorded a 4.4 per cent increase to 4.51 lh as compared to 4.32 lh previously.

Coarse cereals acreage is, however, down more than 42 per cent, with 7.19 lh covered so far this year against 12.42 lh at the same time last year.

Significantly, the Centre had hiked the minimum support price (MSP) for Ragi by Rs.100/quintal earlier this week, from Rs.1,550/qtl to Rs.1,650/qtl. The MSP for jowar varieties and bajra were raised by Rs.40/qtl and Rs.25/qtl, respectively.

Sowing of oilseeds has registered a marginal uptick to 2.79 lh from 2.22 lh while sugarcane is down to 41.58 lh from 43.92 lh earlier. Cotton acreage has also fallen slightly to 19.66 lh from 20 lh at the same time last year.

Jute and mesta has been sown across 7.55 lh this year against 7.81 lh previously.

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