Pulses, rice continue to drive acreage growth this kharif

With an unprecedented rise in acreage under pulses, sowing in the ongoing kharif season has almost reached the average total normal area sown for the entire period (averaged over the last five years) with an indication that total sowing may surpass the normal area.

Acreage under all kharif crops on August 26 was 1,019.10 lakh hectares, just 4 per cent short of normal area of lakh 1,062.50 hectares, according to weekly sowing data released by the Agriculture Ministry.

“Led by growth in acreage under pulses and rice, thanks to plentiful monsoon rains, the sowing of crops may surpass the normal area,” a government official told BusinessLine .

Because of late advent of monsoon this year, sowing is likely to continue well into September, the official added.

Sowing of pulses have posted a record increase of 40.22 per cent so far at 139.42 lakh hectares (lh) compared to 103.85 lh in the same period last year.

It is about 28 per cent higher than the normal area acreage of 108.69 lh as farmers switched from cotton attracted by high prices of pulses and to avoid risk of pest attack in cotton.

Rice acreage, at 363.07 lh, was up 13.42 per cent than 352.23 lh sown in the same period last year.

Coarse cereals and oilseeds sowing also posted an increase of 6.19 per cent to 182.99 lh and 3.01 per cent to 177.74 lh respectively.

Cotton sowing declined 12.83 per cent to 102.78 lh as farmers sowed less of Bt cotton that got infested by white flies in the past years.

There was a marginal decline in acreage under sugarcane and jute as well.

Sugarcane sowing declined 0.66 per cent to 45.55 lh, while sowing of jute was 0.57 per cent lower at 7.56 lh.

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