Total kharif acreage tops last year's level for first time this season

For the first time in the 2023 season, the area sown under all kharif crops crossed last year's level and touched 73.34 million hectares as on July 21. This is 1.21 per cent more than the cumulative area covered under all crops during the same period last year. 

More importantly, paddy acreage too picked up strength and till July 21, around 18.02 million hectares have been brought under paddy, which is 2.74 per cent more than the area covered during the same period last year. 

A pick up in paddy sowing should ease some concerns on the inflation front that prompted a clampdown on exports this week. 

A possible problem area still was the acreage under arhar, which was still 18.32 per cent less than last year and urad, which is 9.49 per cent less than last year. But, given that the difference between acreage of last year and this year has steadily narrowed, the hope is that this too will get covered in the coming weeks. 

The pick-up in rains over major arhar and tur growing regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra should aid in this pick up. Overall, till cumulative rainfall between June 1 and July 21 across India has been 363 millimeters, which is 3 per cent more than normal so far.