Overall shortfall in sown area, but rice slightly up

The agriculture ministry on Friday said the total area sown for the kharif or the summer crop was lower this year at 75.10 lakh hectare as of now, even as that for rice was higher.

The ministry said that while the area under rice was higher at 4.71 lakh hectares, against 4.52 lakh hectares, the area overall for all crops was lower than 82.87 lakh hectare at around this time last year.

The area under other crops in lakh hectares with last year's figures in brackets are as follows: pulses 2.46 (2.75), coarse cereals 3.82 (6.09), oilseeds 1.21 (0.94), sugarcane 41.58 (43.52), jute and mesta 7.02 (7.11), and cotton 14.30 (17.34).

The figures come against the backdrop of the meteorological department forecasting a 12 percent deficit rain during the ongoing monsoon season. An independent private organisation that does weather forecasting has, however, forecast 102 percent of long-term average.