Pulses sowing area rises 23% in Kharif season due to favourable monsoon

Overall acreage increased by 9% in the season

Sowing of pulses, after an initial fall, had risen 23 per cent as of Friday, year-on-year, as the southwest monsoon’s spread brought more areas under kharif cultivation.

As much as 4.41 million hectares (mn ha) was under cultivation, against 3.59 mn ha in the corresponding period of the previous year. There were earlier apprehensions that sowing of pulses would fall this year due to farmer protests over subdued prices. 

Overall, sowing of kharif crops was up almost nine per cent at 40.4 mn ha as on Friday, against 37.12 mn ha a year ago. The area under paddy went up