New Delhi: August 29, 2020. The area sown under Kharif crops has increased to a record 1,082.22 lakh hectare during the current season, much higher than the 1,069.5 lakh hectare during the entirety of last year’s season, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that a record area of 1,082.22 lakh ha has been covered under Kharif crops till August 28 during the current season, which is 13 lakh ha higher than 1,069.5 lakh ha area under Kharif crops during 2019.
The previous record area sown during the Kharif season was 1,075.71 lakh ha in 2016, Tomar said, adding that sowing of rice is still on in some states.
Tomar expressed hope that with an expected Kharif foodgrain production of 1,499.2 lakh tonnes, the target of 2,983.2 lakh tonnes of foodgrain in 2020-21 will be achieved. He said Covid-19 has had no impact on the areas sown under Kharif crops.
A separate release from the ministry said, “As on 28.08.2020, the total Kharif crops has been sown on 1,082.22 lakh ha area against 1,009.98 lakh ha area during the corresponding period of last year, thus, increase in area coverage by 7.15% compared to corresponding period of last year in the country.”
The statement shows that during the current Kharif season, the area under rice has reached 389.81 lakh ha — about 10 per cent higher than the 354.41 lakh ha of rice sown during the corresponding period of last year.
Pulses have been sown over an area of 134.57 lakh ha during the current Kharif season — 4.6 percent higher compared to the 128.65 lakh ha during the corresponding period last year. The sowing of coarse cereals, oilseeds, sugarcane, jute, mesta and cotton too have increased during the current season, the statement said.
It further shows a majority of states have sown larger areas during the current season, while Punjab, Nagaland, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir have sown over less land this year.
