Rice sowing area surpasses 400 lakh hectares marks

Source: The post is based on the article “Rice sowing area surpasses 400 lakh hectares marks”  published in PIB on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released the progress of area coverage under kharif crops.

What are the key takeaways from the data on Kharif Crops?

The area under kharif or summer-sown crops which account for half of the country’s annual food supply stands at 108.8 million hectares, nearly the same as 2022.

Rice dominates among the kharif crops with an area sown of 403.41 lakh hectares, surpassing last year’s 392.81 lakh hectares.This indicates the significance of rice cultivation in India’s agricultural landscape.

Pulses cultivation faced challenges but still covered 119.91 lakh hectares, slightly less than the 131.17 lakh hectares last year.

Coarse cereals like Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Small millets and Maize maintained steady planting at 182.21 lakh hectares, compared to 181.24 lakh hectares last year.

Oilseeds, including Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, Sesamum, Niger, Castor, and others, covered 191.49 lakh hectares, slightly down from 193.30 lakh hectares last year.

Sugarcane cultivation expanded to 59.91 lakh hectares from 55.65 lakh hectares last year.

Jute and Mesta covered 6.57 lakh hectares (compared to 6.97 lakh hectares last year), while Cotton covered 125.00 lakh hectares (down from 126.87 lakh hectares last year).

What is the significance of this data on Kharif Crops?

India’s agriculture sector operates in three cropping seasons: Summer, Kharif, and Rabi. 

Kharif crops are sown during June-July, dependent on monsoon rains, and typically harvested in October-November.

The progress in Kharif sowing, especially for essential crops like rice and sugarcane, reflects the resilience and dedication of Indian farmers, ensuring a robust agricultural sector in the country.