Rice acreage up slightly, pulses sowing area drops 3.5%

Sowing area of rice is marginally up at 341.58 lakh hectares while pulses acreage has declined by 3.5 per cent to 130.68 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing kharif season.
Sowing operation in the kharif season begins normally with the onset of the south-west monsoon and picks up pace from July. Paddy, tur, moong, urad, soyabean, sunflower seed and cotton are the main crops grown during this season.
"The total sown area as on August 18, as per reports received from states, stands at 976.34 lakh hectares compared to 984.57 lakh hectares at this time last year," an official statement said.

Rice has been sown in 341.58 lakh hectares so far this kharif season as against 340.14 lakh hectares in the same period last year.
Pulses acreage has fallen to 130.68 lakh hectares, from the earlier 135.42 lakh hectares.
Area under coverage for coarse cereals stood at 171.75 lakh hectares as against 179.17 lakh hectares. Oilseeds area is down at 157.36 lakh hectares, from 175.10 lakh hectares.

In the case of cash crops, sugarcane has been sown in 49.78 lakh hectares so far this season against 45.64 lakh hectares in the year-earlier period while that of cotton stands at 118.14 lakh hectares as against 101.54 lakh hectares.

Jute and mesta area is down to 7.05 lakh hectares, from 7.56 lakh hectares.
With monsoon rains expected to be normal this year, the government is targeting yet another bumper foodgrain and horticulture production in the new crop year 2017-18.