Cotton, bajra and groundnut see big drop in acreage, shows data

As the kharif sowing season almost comes to an end, the acreage of cotton, bajra and groundnut has lagged the most, compared to the area covered last year. The latest data from the Department of Agriculture shows that area covered under cotton this year was 0.83 million hectares less than in 2020, while that covered under bajra was 0.52 million hectares less and groundnut was 0.22 million hectares less. 

The total area covered under all crops was more than their normal area, which is the average of the last five years. Meanwhile, the extended breaks in monsoon seems to have pulled down the reservoir levels and unless it rains heavily in September (IMD has predicted September rains to be more than 110 per cent of the Long Period Average, which is 170 millimeters), reservoir levels could be a cause for concern going forward into the rabi sowing season.