A healthy 6 per cent increase in the kharif area over the previous season riding on better rice and oilseeds cultivation may lift rural prospects, even though pounding August rains may have inflicted damage on crops in some areas.
According to data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday, kharif crops have so far covered over 1,095 lakh hectares (lha), nearly 6.3 per cent more than 1,030 lha planted in the corresponding week last year.
The area under rice at 396 lha is among one of the highest and planting is still on some States. Rice acreage is nearly 30 lha more than the 366 lh planted same week last year. The States, which have seen a spurt in rice planting include Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Karnataka.
Jump in oilseeds, pulses
Even though oilseeds, particularly soyabean and groundnut, have been planted over 195 lha — nearly 12 per cent more than corresponding week in the previous kharif season — there has been significant damage to the crops due to heavy rains in Central India. Though India Meteorological Department forecast a slight 3 per cent increase in quantum of rains to be received in August, the actual rainfall, as the country as a whole received, was nearly 26 per cent more than the normal. Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have reported substantial damage to standing oilseeds crops because of heavy rains.
Thanks to higher coverage in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana, there is nearly 5 per cent rise in pulses acreage till this week. The total area under pulses crops stood at around 137 lha (131 lha). The crops that have reported higher area include arhar and moong.
There is a slight increase in area under coarse cereals, too, because of better sowing of maize and bajra. Farmers planted coarse cereals over 179 lha, nearly 3 lh more than that in the corresponding week in 2019-20.
Cotton is another crop that has done well as compared to last kharif season. Acreage of the fibre crop so far is 129 lha (125 lha).
Reservoir levels up
According to the Central Water Commission, which monitors water storage in major reservoirs, said total water storage in 123 water bodies across the country was 139.16 billion cubic metre (BCM), which is nearly 4 per cent more than 134.43 BCM in the same week in 2019-20.