Area sown to rice in Tamil Nadu fell by over 39 per cent to 7.18 lakh hectare so far in the 2016-17 rabi season due to poor northeast (NE) monsoon.
Sowing of rice and other rabi crops begins from October-November and harvesting starts from April.
As per the latest data released by the Union Agriculture Ministry, rice was sown in 7.18 lakh hectare till last week of the current rabi season, down by 39 per cent from 11.82 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.
"Rice coverage has been lower in Tamil Nadu and other southern states because of deficient rains from northeast monsoon," Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Deputy Director General J S Sandhu told PTI.
Rainfall was lower by 39 per cent than the normal rainfall and this has affected sowing activity largely in Tamil Nadu, he added.
Sowing of rice in adjoining states, especially Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, too has impacted but not to the extent of Tamil Nadu, Sandhu said.
Apart from rice, pulses acreage has also declined to 3.48 lakh hectare till last week of the ongoing rabi season, as against 3.94 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.
Even coarse cereals coverage was lower at 3.55 lakh hectare from 4.23 lakh hectare, while oilseeds acreage was down at 38,000 hectare from 89,000 hectare in the said period.
Total rabi crops were covered an area of 15.08 lakh hectare till last week of this rabi season, which is down by 30 per cent from 21.42 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.
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