Area under paddy down 26% so far this kharif season

Area under paddy is down 26 per cent to 26.55 lakh hectare so far in the ongoing kharif (summer-sown) season amid slow progress of the southwest monsoon. The paddy acreage stood at 36.05 lakh hectare in the corresponding period last year, according to the agriculture ministry data.

Paddy is the main kharif crop, sowing of which normally starts with the onset of southwest monsoon. About 80 per cent of the country's total rice production comes from kharif season.

Area under pulses is marginally less at 18.15 lakh hectare so far from 18.51 lakh hectare in the same period last year, the ministry said in a statement.


Shri Anna-cum-coarse cereals acreage has risen at 36.23 lakh hectare so far as against 22.41 lakh hectare in the corresponding period last year.

Area under oilseeds has increased at 21.55 lakh hectare from 18.81 lakh hectare.Cotton acreage is down at 40.49 lakh hectare so far from 47.04 lakh hectare last year. Area under sugarcane stood at 54.40 lakh hectare as against 52.92 lakh hectare.

Total acreage under all major kharif crops is 203.18 lakh hectare as on Friday (June 30) as against 202.33 lakh hectare in the same period last year.

The southwest monsoon hit India on June 8 with its onset over Kerala against the normal date of June 1.

India is expected to get normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon despite the evolving El Nino conditions, the IMD had earlier said.

El Nino, which is the warming of the waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America, is generally associated with the weakening of monsoon winds and dry weather in India.

El Nino conditions this year follow three consecutive La Nina years. La Nina is the opposite of El Nino and it typically brings good rainfall during monsoon.