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Sowing of pulses and oil seeds – the two crops which play an important part in both food and non food inflation-- has started on a brisk note in this kharif season vastly aided by the above average rainfall so far in the main growing areas.
If the weather remains benign in the next few weeks, India’s pulses and oil seeds acreage could exceed normal sowing area.
In the entire kharif season, the total normal area under pulses is around 11.01 million hectares, while it is around 17.9 million hectares under oil seeds. Normal area for any crop is the average area of 5 years from 2007-08 to 2011-12.
According to the latest data from the department of agriculture, pulses have been sown in around 374,000 hectares till June 20. The crop was not sown anywhere across the country in the corresponding period of 2012.
Oil seeds have been sown in 813,000 hectares till Thursday, almost 161 % more than the same period last year.
Among pulses, sowing has started before time in Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha. The pulses varieties largely sown in these areas are arhar, urad and moong.
Arhar has been sown in around 78,400 hectares till June 20, while urad has been sown in around 52,400 hectares and moong in around 172,000 hectares.
Among oil seeds, acreage under groundnut and soybean has been more in Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh than other areas. The data showed groundnut has been sown in around 555,800 hectares till June 20, almost 152 % more than that of same period last year. Soybean has been planted in around 132,000 hectares, over 700 percent more than last year.
The main reason for this surge in pulses and oil seeds sowing has been the stupendous run of southwest monsoon so far, more importantly over major growing areas of these crops.
According to the latest data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall over Gujarat has been 146 % more than normal between June one and 21, while it has been 10-32% more than normal in Karnataka. In Tamil Nadu, the southwest monsoon has been 27% more than normal during the same period, and 23% more than normal in Odisha. Overall across the country, rainfall has been 42% more than normal during June 1-21.
The data showed that among other crops paddy, the biggest foodgrain grown during the kharif season has been sown in around 1.64 million hectares, almost 1.23% more than last year, sugarcane has been sown in around 4.45 million hectares, almost 9.73 % less than last year and cotton has been sown in around 2.81 million hectares, 10.22 % less than last year.
