Area under paddy coverage has increased by 13 per cent so far in this Kharif sowing season to 3.46 lakh hectares and sowing operations are likely to pick up with onset of monsoon in Kerala today.
However, sowing area of oilseeds, sugarcane and cotton has been lower so far in 2015 Kharif (summer-sown) season compared to the year-ago period.
According to the Agriculture Ministry data, paddy sowing was 3.46 lakh hectares as against 3.05 lakh hectares in the same period last year.
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However, the ministry said that the total sowing area, as per reports received from states, was lower at 61.27 lakh hectares so far as compared to 64.75 lakh hectare in the year- ago period.
"It is reported that rice has been sown/transplanted in 3.46 lakh hectares, sugarcane in 41.01 lakh hectare and cotton in 9.32 lakh hectares," an official statement said.
Area under coverage for oilseeds was down at 0.53 lakh hectares as against 0.58 lakh hectares a year ago.
Similarly, cotton sowing fell to 9.32 lakh hectare from 10.90 lakh hectare during the period under review.
Area under coverage for sugarcane so far stood at 41.01 lakh hectare against 43.22 lakh hectare in the same period of 2014.
Meanwhile, Southwest-Monsoon hit Kerala today marking the start of the rainy season, four days after its normal onset date.
On June 2, the Met Department revised its forecast from 93 per cent to 88 per cent Long Period Average (LPA), with north-west region of the country expected to be hit the most.
Last year, the country had received 12 per cent less rains that hit production of grains, cotton and oilseeds.
Foodgrains production declined to 251.12 million tonnes in the 2014-15 crop year (July-June) from a record production of 265.04 million tonnes in the previous year.
