Kharif sowing to be normal, says govt; monsoon level 1% below average

Overall, total kharif crops so far have been sown in around 86.95 million hectares, which is 5.35 per cent lower than the same period last year

A sharp improvement in the southwest monsoon over the past few weeks has narrowed the shortfall in kharif acreage compared to last year. Rice cultivation, however, has remained slow in major eastern states such West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha.

Senior officials in the agriculture ministry said in the coming weeks, paddy sowing will pick pace and cover the gap.

“We are confident that by the time kharif sowing ends, about 106 million hectares will be under crops,” said an official. “This is almost the same as the normal area under kharif cultivation in the past five years.” He added