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Kharif crop sowing has reached 82.5% of its normal area, marking a 3% increase compared to last year. Key crops like maize, soyabean, and sugarcane have surpassed their usual coverage, ensuring strong prospects for optimal yields. Meanwhile, paddy and pigeon pea areas have expanded significantly, while cotton acreage has seen a decline. The overall rise in oilseeds and pulses also reflects positive agricultural trends.

Highlights

Kharif Sowing Progress: Kharif crop sowing has reached 82.5% of the normal area, covering 904.60 lakh hectares, a 3% increase compared to the same period last year, reflecting strong agricultural activity.

Maize, Soyabean, Sugarcane Coverage: The area under maize, soyabean, and sugarcane has surpassed their normal coverage levels, indicating timely and extensive planting that is crucial for achieving optimal yields.

Paddy Sowing Increase: Paddy sowing area has risen by 5.3% to 276.91 lakh hectares compared to the previous year, reaching nearly 70% of the normal area, ensuring prospects for a good yield.

Pigeon Pea (Arhar) Expansion: The sowing area for pigeon pea has surged by 26%, reaching 41.89 lakh hectares, driven by higher market prices and nearing 92% of its normal area.

Pulse Crops Overview: The total area under pulses has grown by 11%, reaching 110.61 lakh hectares, with notable increases in moong and arhar, though urad sowing has slightly decreased.

Nutri-Cereals and Maize Growth: Nutri-cereals and maize have seen a combined area increase of 3%, with maize alone covering 107% of its normal area, showing robust cultivation trends.

Cotton Sowing Decline: Cotton sowing has decreased by 8%, covering 108.43 lakh hectares compared to the previous year, although 84% of the normal area has still been achieved.

Oilseeds Sowing Growth: Overall oilseed acreage has expanded by 3%, with soyabean crossing its normal coverage and groundnut sowing showing significant momentum with a 12.3% increase.

Conclusion

The promising increase in sowing areas for key Kharif crops, particularly maize, soyabean, and sugarcane, suggests a favorable outlook for the agricultural sector this season. With paddy sowing nearly complete and reaching substantial levels, expectations for a good harvest are high, provided other conditions remain supportive. However, the decline in cotton acreage highlights challenges that need monitoring. Overall, the trends indicate robust crop performance and potentially strong yields across most categories.

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