Photo Source: ANI
Kharif sown area improves by 10.3% in 2024 sowing season
New Delhi, July 17, 2024 (ANI): Despite rainfall remaining 2 percent below the LPA, as of July 15, the overall sown area of Kharif crops has improved by 10.3 percent as compared to last year.
A report by Bank of Baroda research says the overall cumulative rainfall this year remains marginally on the lower side at 287.7 mm, compared with 293.5mm last year.
During this year's monsoon season, the sown area for rice has increased by 20.7 per cent, pulses by 26 percent, and oilseeds by 22 percent, Bank of Baroda observed in its report.
Within the pulses category, the acreage of Arhar (Toor Daal) has seen a steep rise, significantly contributing to the overall increase. Urdbean has also seen a 9 per cent increase, while other pulses like moong bean have recorded declines.
Among oilseeds, soybeans saw a substantial jump of 31 percent, while groundnuts saw a slight decrease of 0.2 percent However, the sown area for coarse cereals and jute has decreased by 7 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively.
Notably, the area sown for Bajra and Jowar has declined by 43.5 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively, whereas the acreage for small millets, maize, and ragi has increased. Additionally, the sown area for cotton and sugarcane has also risen, as per the observation.
The sown area of Paddy in 2023-24 was 95.8 lakh hectares compared to 115.6 lakh hectares, an increase of 20.7 percent at 62.3 lakh hectares. The sown area of pulses increased by 26 percent in the current sowing season compared to last year's 49.5 lakh hectares.
The report further added that despite the early onset of the Southwest monsoon across India, cumulative rainfall remains 2 percent below the Long Period Average (LPA) as of July 15, 2024.
The second week of July witnessed a noticeable shortfall in the monsoon, which saw only 42.7 millimeters (MM) of rainfall compared to the first week's 79.1mm, following 137.5mm in June, the report highlighted.
The 25 meteorological sub-divisions out of 36, which cover 69 percent of the country have received normal or above-normal rainfall, while 12 states are experiencing a rainfall deficit, the research conducted by Sonal Badhan the economist at the bank said.
Regionally, Central India reported a slight deviation from the LPA at minus 4 per cent, whereas the South Peninsula experienced a significant surplus with a 13 per cent increase in rainfall.
This marginal deviation from the LPA has positively impacted the sown area, leading to notable increases in the acreage of paddy, pulses, and oilseeds compared to last year, the report observed.
The Central, Western, and North-Eastern regions have received normal rainfall. Tamil Nadu and Ladakh have reported excesses in the monsoon while some states such as Kerala, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir have experienced deficient rainfall.
Although the report highlights the concern on reservoir levels in the country the current storage stands at 26 percent of total capacity in India compared to 33 percent last year.
As the majority of sowing occurs in July and August, the distribution of rainfall in the coming weeks will be crucial for the agricultural sector, the report further added.
(ANI)