Kharif sowing area up 1.6% as on Friday

Monsoon revives in key drought-affected areas

Deficient monsoon notwithstanding Kharif crops sowing rose 1.6 per cent to 102.2 million hectares as on Friday, compared with 100.6 million hectares in the corresponding period of 2014-15.

Meanwhile, withdrawing monsoon recovered in major drought-affected areas, which account for one-third of India’s food output.

There was a rise in the area of all kharif crops, except jute and cotton.

Pulses, whose prices are defying the general softening trend both in terms of wholesale and retail, saw an 11.6 per cent increase in the area under cultivation to 11.2 million hectares, compared to 10.1 million hectares.

Oilseeds were planted at 18.2 million hectares against 17.4 million hectares, an increase of nearly three per cent. The government on Friday increased the import duty on edible oils by five percentage points as the import bill on them surged.

Sugarcane was cultivated on 4.88 million hectares as on Friday, marginally higher than 4.87 million hectares in the corresponding period of the previous year. As the sugar sector faces glut, the government imposed a compulsory limit on sugar mills to export the sweetener. The area under rice cultivation also rose moderately to 37.3 million hectares from 37.2 million hectares.

Coarse cereals were sown on 18.3 million hectares, 5.2 per cent higher than 17.4 million hectares in the comparable period of 2014-15.

Cotton was planted on 11.5 million hectares, nine per cent lower than 12.6 million hectares.  Jute, however, was cultivated on four per cent less area at 7,80,000 hectares against 8,13,000 hectares.

According to the first advance estimate, the foodgrains output in the 2015-16 kharif season is expected to be 124 million tonnes, nearly four million tonnes more than the first estimate of 2014-15 kharif output.

However, when compared to the final kharif production of 2014-15, this year's first advanced estimate is 2.26 million tonnes less. India had achieved a record 131.27 million tonnes of foodgrain production in 2011-12.

There has been a less-than-normal southwest monsoon over 30 per cent of the country.

On Thursday and Friday, Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, Chhattisgarh and Telangana saw good rains. Odisha, central Maharashtra, Goa and Kerala, too, received showers.

The late revival of showers has narrowed the rainfall deficiency from 16 per cent to 15 per cent during June-September.