Kharif crop acreage to rise as sowing window remains open till August 15: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

New Delhi: The acreage of key kharif crops such as rice (paddy), pulses and oilseeds will increase to compensate for the current deficiency in the next few weeks, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday.

"The sowing window is open till August 15," he said, adding that more rainfall is expected in the coming weeks.

Sowing of paddy, pulses and oilseeds was down 8.63%, 23.32% and 21.01% year-on-year, respectively, till July 10, pushing up inflation in these categories.


Inflation in rice, the main kharif crop, rose to 1.72% in June compared to 0.23% in May as its acreage declined.