Kharif sowing area down 17.69 lakh hectares from last year as rice coverage falls: MoAFW

New Delhi [India], September 8 (ANI): The total area sown under kharif crops stood at 1,086.31 lakh hectares as of September 4, down 17.69 lakh hectares from the corresponding period last year, affected by a sharp decline in rice coverage, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Rice coverage stood at 421.82 lakh hectares, compared with 438.19 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year, marking a decline of 16.37 lakh hectares. The ministry said the major reductions were reported in Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
The overall decline in kharif coverage was partly offset by higher sowing of pulses. Area under total pulses rose to 117.13 lakh hectares from 115.30 lakh hectares a year ago, an increase of 1.84 lakh hectares.
The increase in pulses coverage was mainly driven by gains in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which more than offset declines in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Odisha, the ministry said.
Within pulses, urad coverage increased by 2.68 lakh hectares to 25.15 lakh hectares, while tur coverage rose by 0.72 lakh hectares to 45.66 lakh hectares. Moong coverage, however, declined by 1.04 lakh hectares to 33.19 lakh hectares.
Area under Shri Anna and coarse cereals stood at 181.39 lakh hectares, down 1.09 lakh hectares from 182.48 lakh hectares last year. Maize coverage declined by 2.99 lakh hectares to 91.09 lakh hectares, while bajra area increased by 1.99 lakh hectares to 64.86 lakh hectares.
Oilseed coverage also fell, standing at 191.99 lakh hectares against 193.06 lakh hectares a year earlier. Soybean area declined by 1.16 lakh hectares to 121.82 lakh hectares, while groundnut coverage fell by 0.83 lakh hectares to 49.61 lakh hectares.
Sugarcane coverage stood at 58.47 lakh hectares, down 0.40 lakh hectares from last year, while cotton coverage declined by 0.69 lakh hectares to 109.17 lakh hectares.
Meanwhile, jute and mesta coverage increased marginally to 6.34 lakh hectares from 6.24 lakh hectares a year ago.
The data showed that higher pulses and jute and mesta coverage partly offset declines in several major kharif crops, leaving overall kharif coverage below last year's level. (ANI)