Area sown to kharif crops remains 16 pc lower on weak monsoon; paddy, pulses acreage down: Agri Min

New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) The area sown to kharif crops like paddy remained 16 per cent lower at 531.25 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing season due to weak monsoon, according to the Agriculture Ministry. Sowing of kharif (summer) crops typically begins with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June. However, planting has been delayed this year owing to a weak monsoon linked to the El Nino effect. As per the latest data released by the ministry, overall kharif crops have been sown across 531.25 lakh hectare as of July 10 against 632.69 lakh hectare in the corresponding period of the last year. Paddy coverage was lower by 8.63 per cent at 114.69 lakh hectare compared to 125.53 lakh hectare a year earlier. Area under pulses fell 23.31 per cent to 56.63 lakh hectare from 73.85 lakh hectare. Among pulses, arhar acreage stood at 19.54 lakh hectare against 28.03 lakh hectare a year ago, urad at 9.34 lakh hectare (13.29 lakh hectare), and moong at 21.52 lakh hectare (24.08 lakh hectare). Coverage under coarse cereals declined 22.47 per cent to 98.69 lakh hectare from 127.30 lakh hectare. Oilseeds acreage declined 21 per cent to 117.83 lakh hectare compared to 149.18 lakh hectare. Within oilseeds, soybean acreage fell 16 per cent to 90.51 lakh hectare from 107.72 lakh hectare. Sugarcane acreage was marginally higher at 57.58 lakh hectare against 56.72 lakh hectare, while jute/mesta area rose to 6.28 lakh hectare from 6.16 lakh hectare. Among cash crops, cotton sowing continued to trail, with coverage down 15.33 per cent at 79.54 lakh hectare so far this kharif season against 93.95 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. PTI LUX LUX BAL BAL