Coverage of cash crops, barring sugarcane, trails in the current kharif sowing season but the area under rice and coarse cereals is up, according to the Agriculture Ministry's data.
Among cash crops, cotton coverage is the worst-hit as monsoon has been delayed in key-growing States of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. So far, 44.63 lakh hectares (lh) have been brought under the natural fibre against 65.83 lh during the corresponding period a year ago. In Gujarat, only 18 per cent of the area that had come under the crop last year has been covered so far.
The area under oilseeds is also down at 54.36 lh against 58.62 lh but the loss stems mainly from poor groundnut coverage. In fact, soyabean acreage has increased to 36.84 lh against 34.24, while groundnut sowing is down at 13.70 lh (19.64 lh). The lower groundnut acreage is mainly due to scanty rainfall in Gujarat.
Area under pulses is down at 22.59 lh against 29.74 lh a year ago. The drop is not surprising given the fact that prices of pulses are lower compared with the same period a year ago. Prices of pulses have dropped in the last one year on higher production.
The coverage of sugarcane is up at 51.38 lh against 49 lh during the corresponding period a year ago. Higher sowing has been reported from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Despite growers in some parts of Andhra Pradesh declaring a holiday, the area under rice has increased. This is mainly due to beneficial rains in States such as Tamil Nadu, Orissa and West Bengal. According to data from States, the coverage is higher in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, too. So far, 74.31 lh have come under the grain against 67.81 lh a year ago.
Meanwhile, the water storage level in the 81 major reservoirs in the country is 95 per cent higher than the same period a year ago.
According to the Central Water Commission, the storage level has increased to 44.305 billion cubic metres (BCM). During the same time last year, the level of 22.715 BCM. If the last 10 years average is taken into account, then the level is 48 per cent higher.
However, the level is only 29 per cent of the full level of 151.77 BCM.
Though rainfall was 25 per cent below normal last week, the storage level improved eight per cent.
With rain lashing Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan, sowing activity is likely to gather momentum. Much of deficit is likely to covered in the next week to 10 days.