Rice acreage lags behind at 36 mn hectares so far

Area sown to rice is lagging behind slightly at 36 million hectare so far in ongoing kharif season of this year, as against 36.40 million hectare in the year-ago, according to the Agriculture Ministry data.
Earlier in the day, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said sowing acreage of most kharif crops remained down so far due to poor monsoon. However, the exact sowing situation would be known by September 15.
Barring cotton, area planted to all other kharif (summer) crops is lower than the year-ago, as per the data released by the Agriculture Ministry.
Sowing of most kharif crops, which began with the onset of southwest monsoon from June, has completed. Rice planting would continue till end of the month.

Besides rice, area sown to pulses remains lower at 9.72 million hectare as on today, as compared with 10.36 million hectares in the same period last season.
Similarly, acreage under oilseeds is lagging behind at 17.34 million hectares from 18.89 million hectares, while area under coarse cereals is down at 17.47 million hectares from 19.23 million hectares in the review period.

Among cash crops, area under sugarcane coverage is lower at 4.87 million hectares as on today, as against 5.03 million hectare in the year-ago. Jute acreage is also down marginally at 8.13 lakh hectare from 8.31 lakh hectares.
However cotton area is slightly increased to 12.37 million hectares from 11.31 million hectares in the same period.

Total area under all kharif crops remains lower at 98.65 million hectares as on today, as compared to 102 million hectares in the year-ago.
Deficient monsoon rains has affecting sowing operations in the kharif season. With kharif crops covered in less area, overall production is expected to be affected.
The government is working on the first estimate of kharif crop production for 2014-15 and the production forecast will be released soon.