Paddy Acreage Up 4%; Reaches 408.73 Lakh Hectares

The area under paddy cultivation has risen by four percent during this Kharif sowing season due to the good monsoon season. The latest official data showed that paddy has so far been sown in 408.73 lakh hectare, marking a four per cent increase over the figure of the corresponding period last year when the acreage was 393.57 lakh hectare.

An official statement said the pulses acreage has risen to 125.13 lakh hectare so far in Kharif sowing season compared to 116.66 lakh hectare during the same period last year, while the area under coverage for coarse cereals has increased to 187.74 lakh hectare so far this kharif season compared to 181.06 lakh hectare during the corresponding period of last year.

In the non-food grains category, the acreage of oilseeds has increased to 190.63 lakh hectare so far this year from 188.83 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Similarly, the statement said a total of 57.68 lakh hectare area coverage under sugarcane has been reported compared to 57.11 lakh hectare during the corresponding period of last year.

The total area under coverage in the ongoing kharif sowing season is 1,087.33 lakh hectare so far, compared to 1,066.89 lakh hectare in the same period of 2023.