Arhar, soybean, sunflower acreage likely to remain less than last year

Sowing of many kharif crops have completed in almost 70% of the normal area this season so far

With sowing of many kharif crops completed in almost 70 per cent of the normal area, farmers would appear to be increasingly responding to price signals.

Sowing will continue for some more weeks and should get a boost from monsoon revival. However, unless there is a big lift, the total area under arhar (red gram), soybean, groundnut and sunflower seems likely to remain less than last year, indicated official data issued on Friday. Sowing of many kharif crops is complete in almost 70 per cent of the normal area covered.

Last year saw a sharp fall in prices of many crops, forcing