Sowing of paddy, the main kharif crop, is underway in areas which received monsoon rains and the planting is picking up as the monsoon progresses in different parts of the country, Agriculture Commissioner PK Singh said on Tuesday.
"Paddy sowing has just started and it has been good so far in areas which have received rainfall. It is picking up as the monsoon progresses in different parts of the country," Singh told PTI.
In some parts, farmers have started preparing nurseries, he said. In nurseries, the paddy seeds are first sown and raised into young plants. The plants are then uprooted and replanted in the main field.
Till last week, area under paddy was lower by 14.66% at 5.32 lakh hectare as against 6.23 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, as per date from the Ministry of Agriculture.
In case of pulses, the Agriculture Commissioner said the pulses are grown in rainfed areas and sowing will pick up with the progress of monsoon rains.
Pulses were sown in 1.80 lakh hectare till last week of the 2023 kharif season, as against 4.22 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, the data showed. Area sown to oilseeds too remained slightly lower at 4.11 lakh hectare till last week, but coarse cereals were covered in higher area at 12.43 lakh hectare till June 16.
Paddy is the main kharif crop, sowing of which normally starts with the onset of southwest monsoon. About 80% of the country's total rice production comes from the kharif season.
India Meteorological Department has projected normal southwest monsoon this year. After initial delay in its onset, the monsoon has advanced to other regions.
Except in east and northeastern region, there was rainfall deficit during June 8-14 period in other parts of the country as per the IMD data.
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