Monsoon 2017: Kharif sowing picks up in Odisha with normal rains

State govt had, in a separate budget, set aside a sum of Rs 14,930 cr for the agriculture sector

Buoyed by normal rainfall, kharif sowing has picked up momentum in Odisha, with the overall sowing area surpassing the previous year's figures.

As on July 1, the total sowing area in the state stood at 1.19 million hectares, compared with 1.16 million hectares in the same period last year, show government data.

In the month of June , Odisha received 207.8 millimetres (mm) rainfall against a normal monsoon shower of 216.5 mm, thereby, marking a deviation of 4 per cent only.

Sowing area under cereal cultivation stood at 0.824 million hectares, as against last year's 0.843 million hectares. Pulses, on the other hand,  were