Pulses such as green gram (moong) and coarse cereals such as bajra and jowar continued to gain acreage in the ongoing summer cropping season. However, paddy and oilseeds acreages trail last year’s levels, so far. Overall, the area under the summer crops is marginally lower at 69.20 lakh hectares (lh) as of May 12 compared with 70.39 lh in the same period a year ago, latest data from Agriculture Ministry show.
The area under pulses crop stood higher at 19.61 lh, an increase of 6.3 per cent over 18.44 lh a year ago. Farmers are seen planting more area under green gram as the acreage is up by 8 per cent at 16.14 lh against 14.97 lh a year ago.The aArea planted under urad was marginally up at 3.24 lh (3.20 lh in same period a year ago).
Bajra gains, maize trails
The overall area under coarse cereals was up at 11.73 lh (11.30 lh). The area under bajra is up at 4.69 lh (3.98 lh), while maize is trailing marginally lower at 6.65 lh(6.94 lh). Jowar acreage was marginally higher at 0.25 lh (0.18 lh), while ragi was lower at 0.14 lh (0.20 lh).
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The acreage under paddy as on May 12 was lower at 27.89 lh against 29.80 lh a year ago. The overall acreage under oilseeds crops also trailed at 9.96 lh (10.85 lakh ha). The area under groundnut was down at 4.78 lh (5.35 lh), while sunflower was flat at 0.31 lh. The area under sesamum was higher at 4.58 lh (4.47 lh). The acreage under other oilseeds was down at 0.29 lh (0.73 lh).
Higher pre-monsoon rainfall
As of May 4, the live storage of 146 reservoirs was 61.81 billion cubic metres (35 per cent) of the total live capacity of 178.19 BCM.
Meanwhile, the country as a whole has received 24 per cent more rainfall in the pre-monsoon, so far. From March 1 till May 12, the country has received 111.9 mm of rains against a normal 90.2 mm, as per IMD data. At least 21 sub-divisions accounting for 69 per cent of the country’s area, have received excess rains, so far. Nine sub-divisions accounting for 22 per cent of the area have received normal to excess rains, while six sub divisions, accounting for 9 per cent of the area, have received deficient rains.