India’s kharif crop planting area rises; paddy leading year-on-year

Farmers in India have sown kharif crops across 979.88 lakh hectares so far this year, as against 972.58 lakh hectares in the same period of last year, according to the latest data from the Agriculture Ministry.

On a yearly basis, the sowing is around 1 per cent higher.

Commodity-wise, paddy sowing is at 328.22 lakh hectares, as against 312.80 lakh hectares same period last year. Notably, India in July amended the rice export norms by putting non-basmati white rice, a major export item, in the “prohibited” category.

For pulses, comprising arhar, urad, moong, and kulthi, among others, the sowing is, however, lower year-on-year. Agriculture ministry data showed the total pulses sowing so far this kharif is 113.07 lakh hectares, as against 122.77 lakh hectares last year.

Further, the sowing of oilseeds, which groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesame, and others, too were marginally lower at 183.33 lakh hectares, as against 184.61 lakh hectares.

Sugarcane farmers have so far sown crops across 56.06 lakh hectares, as against 55.20 lakh hectares last year, data showed.India has three cropping seasons — summer, kharif, and rabi.Crops that are sown during October and November and the produce harvested from January-March depending on maturity is Rabi. Crops sown during June-July and dependent on monsoon rains are harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops produced between rabi and kharif are summer crops.