29 July 2024, New Delhi: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the latest data on the progress of Kharif crop sowing as of July 26, 2024. The report highlights a mix of gains and losses in the area coverage of major Kharif crops compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The total kharif crop coverage has reached 811.87 lakh hectares.
Paddy (rice) area coverage has remained largely stable at 215.97 lakh hectares in 2024, compared to 216.39 lakh hectares in 2023, a slight decrease of 0.42 lakh hectares.
In the pulses category, there has been a notable increase in area coverage, rising from 89.41 lakh hectares in 2023 to 102.03 lakh hectares in 2024, a gain of 12.62 lakh hectares. This includes significant increases in Arhar (9.80 lakh hectares) and Moongbean (3.36 lakh hectares).
The Shree Anna and Coarse Cereals segment has also seen an increase, with the area under these crops rising from 145.76 lakh hectares in 2023 to 153.10 lakh hectares in 2024, a gain of 7.34 lakh hectares. Maize in particular has seen a substantial increase of 9.44 lakh hectares.
Oilseeds have also experienced a growth in area coverage, going from 165.37 lakh hectares in 2023 to 171.67 lakh hectares in 2024, an increase of 6.30 lakh hectares. This includes gains in Groundnut (4.95 lakh hectares) and Soybean (4.73 lakh hectares).
On the other hand, some crops have witnessed a decline in area coverage. Cotton has seen a decrease of 7.81 lakh hectares, from 113.54 lakh hectares in 2023 to 105.73 lakh hectares in 2024. Bajra (pearl millet) has also registered a reduction of 4.13 lakh hectares.
Sugarcane, Jute, and Mesta have seen only marginal changes, with Sugarcane increasing by 0.63 lakh hectares and Jute and Mesta decreasing by 0.42 lakh hectares.
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