Kharif acreage twice last year's as monsoon covers India two weeks sooner

The monsoon coverage is fastest since 2013

The India Meteorological Department said on Friday that the southwest monsoon had covered the entire country, almost two weeks ahead of schedule. Thanks to the good rains so far, sowing of kharif crops, too, has picked up pace and area under cultivation was double the figure of the corresponding period last year.

Data from department of agriculture showed that kharif crops had been sown in around 31.56 million hectares till Friday, which was 104.25 per cent more than the same period last year. Acreage of almost all crops was higher than last year.

Data showed that even before the first month of