look news india
Mumbai: The total cultivated area in the current Kharif season till July 8 has increased by 14.10 per cent year-on-year to 378 lakh hectares, Agriculture Ministry sources said. As a result of the advancement of monsoon in most parts of the country, the area under cultivation has increased significantly.
Paddy sowing has increased by 19 percent while pulses sowing has increased by 54 percent as compared to July 8 last year. Farmers are harvesting more pulses in anticipation of higher prices. Although sowing of pulses like jowar, bajra has decreased, sowing of maize has increased. Sowing of oilseeds has also increased by 54 percent. Cultivation of sugarcane and cotton has also increased.
Among pulses, there has been an increase in Tuvar Dal and Urad but there has been a decrease in Moong. The sowing of millet has reduced considerably. In the current season, millet has been sown in only 11.41 lakh hectares whereas last year it was sown in 43.02 lakh hectares. According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture, sowing of jowar has been done in 3.66 lakh hectares as against 7.16 lakh hectares.
In oilseeds, peanut cultivation has decreased to 17.85 lakh hectares as against 21.24 lakh hectares, while soybean cultivation has increased to 60.63 lakh hectares as against 28.86 lakh hectares. According to the information received, the area under cotton cultivation in the current season is 80.63 lakh hectares as against 62.34 lakh hectares. By the first week of July last year, Kharif sowing had been completed in 331.90 lakh hectares of area.
