Paddy, oilseeds and coarse cereals continue to gain acreage as farmers plant more area under these crops for the ongoing summer cropping season across the country. So far, the summer acreages are higher by 7.94 lakh hectares or 22 per cent per cent at 39.58 lakh ha as on March 5 over the same period last year’s 32.34 lakh ha.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, the overall trend in the progress of summer sowing has been very good, so far. Paddy has been planted on 29.92 lakh ha (23.38 lakh ha), an increase of 6.54 lakh ha or 28 percent.

The area under oilseeds has increased to 3.56 lakh ha, an increase of 0.69 lakh ha over same period last year’s 2.87 lakh ha. Coarse cereals such as jowar and maize also saw a marginal increase at 3.87 lakh ha (3.82 lakh ha).

However, the area under pulses is marginally lower at 2.23 lakh ha (2.28 lakh ha). Area under black gram has seen a marginal increase, while that of moong has seen a decline.

Since January 1 till March 3, the country as a whole has received 32 per cent less rainfall compared to the normal.

According to the Central Water Commission, as on March 4, the live water storage in 130 reservoirs across the country stood at 90 per cent of the live storage of the corresponding period last year and 125 per cent of the storage of average of last 10 years.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW