New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The government on Monday said kharif crop sowing has crossed 1,104 lakh hectares as against 1,096 lakh hectares last time (till September 17). Sowing of paddy, coarse cereals, oilseeds and sugarcane has exceeded the normal area.
According to the data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, paddy sowing has reached 413 lakh hectare (till September 23) as against 404 lakh hectare during the same period last year. For pulses, area coverage of 128.58 lakh hectare has been reported as against 119.28 lakh hectare during the same period last year. Area coverage under coarse cereals has reached 192.55 lakh hectare as against 186.07 lakh hectare during the same period last year. With regard to oilseeds, area coverage of 193.32 lakh hectare has been reported as against 190.92 lakh hectare during the same period last year.
Sugarcane was sown in 57.68 lakh hectare area as against 57.11 lakh hectare area during the same period last year. Due to better monsoon this year, paddy sowing has increased more than the average area of the last five years. Sowing area has increased in the current season because better monsoon rains have made sowing easier in the non-irrigated areas of the country, which is about 50 percent of the country’s agricultural land.
Meanwhile, horticulture production in the country is projected to reach about 353.19 million tonnes in 2023-24 across 28.98 million hectares of area. According to data (third advance estimate) from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the production of fruits, honey, flowers, plantation crops, spices, aromatic substances and medicinal plants was projected to increase by 2022-23.
Moreover, the agriculture sector is expected to get a further boost as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a sum of Rs 1.52 lakh crore in Budget 2024-25 to enhance production and resilience in agriculture and allied sectors.
-IANS
RK/GKT