A 36 per cent deficiency in monsoon rainfall so far has impacted kharif sowing in most parts of the country, with the total sown area being 10 per cent lower than that covered in the corresponding week last year.
Overall, rice and oilseeds are at the same level as last year, while there is a sharper drop in pulses and coarse cereals, according to the Agriculture Ministry data.
According to the data, released on Friday, an area of 146.61 lakh hectares (lh) has been planted so far as against 162.07 lh in the same week in 2018-19.
While the area under rice was 27.09 lh — more or less similar to that in the same period last year— oilseeds planting fell marginally to 13.43 lh as against 14.08 lh in the same week in 2018-19.
Planting of pulses, however, is at 60 per cent of last year’s level. While an area of 8.86 lh was covered by pulses last year, the sowing has happened only over 3.42 lh this year so far.
Sowing of coarse cereals too is down 10 per cent to 19.12 lh till date, while cotton acreage has shrunk by 16 per cent as compared to last year.
Water in 91 Central Water Commission-monitored reservoirs was down to 26.27 billion cubic metres, or 16 per cent of the live storage capacity.