Area under pulses coverage up over two-fold to 6.42 mn ha in kharif season

Area under pulses coverage has jumped over two-fold to 6.42 million hectares in the ongoing kharif sowing season owing to good monsoon rains, the government said on Friday.

About 12.07 million hectares area has been sown under summer rice so far as compared to 9.57 million hectares during the corresponding period of last year, an official statement said..

"About 6.42 million hectares area coverage under pulses as compared to 2.44 million hectares during the corresponding period of last year," the statement said.

Sowing area for coarse cereals reached 9.32 million hectares as compared with 7.19 million hectares during the corresponding period of last year.

About 13.93 million hectares of area has been covered under oilseeds so far as compared with 7.52 million hectares during the corresponding period of last year, it said.

Sowing area for cotton has increased to 10.48 million hectares as compared with 7.77 million hectares in the year-ago period.