The area under paddy has increased by 5.6 per cent to 369.05 lakh hectares (lh) as of August 16 during the ongoing kharif season. It has taken the overall coverage under all kharif crops to 1,031.56 lh - up 2 per cent from a year ago, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare said on Tuesday.

In the year-ago period, the area under paddy was 349.49 lh and all crops togther were at 1,010.52 lh.

The coverage of pulses has increased to 120.18 lh from 113.69 lh. This includes coverage of arhar (tur/pigeon pea) at 45.78 lh (40.74 lh a year ago), urad at 28.33 lh (29.52 lh)and moong at 33.24 lh (30.27 lh), the Ministry said in a statement.

Maize coverage gains

The area under coarse cereals and “Shree Anna” (nutri cereals) increased to 181.11 lh (176 lh) . The area under maize has increased to 87.23 lh (81.25 lh), that of jowar to 14.62 lh (13.75 lh). But, bajra sowing continues to trail at 66.91 lh (69.70 lh).

The oilseeds coverage is up at 186.77 lh against 185.13 lh a year ago. This includes soyabean at 125.11 lh (123.85 lh) and groundnut at 46.36 lh (42.61 lh).

The area under sugarcane has marginally gained at 57.68 lh (57.11 lh), cotton acreage continues to be lower at 111.07 lh (122.15 lh) and jute-mesta acreage at 5.70 lh (6.56 lh).

Higher storage

The storage level in the 150 major Indian reservoirs in the country is up for the seventh week in a row with the storage improving in all regions, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed last week.

The storage level improved to 69 per cent of the 178.784 billion cubic metres (BCM) capacity at 124.016 BCM and it is higher than last year’s as well as the last 10 years’ average (normal level). But, storage in eight States is still below normal with the level in 39 of the key reservoirs below 50 per cent of the capacity.

The storage level has improved due to higher rainfall in July and first fortnight of August. The rainfall was 11 per cent deficient in June, 9 per cent surplus in July and was 15 per cent above normal during August 1-15, data show.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the country has received 642.9 mm of rain between June 1 and August 20, which is 3.7 per cent above its LPA of 619.8 mm.

The weather bureau had earlier forecast rainfall across the country to be ‘normal’ (94 to 106 per cent of LPA) in August, except many areas in southern parts of central meteorological subdivision and adjoining northern peninsular India, north-east and adjoining areas of east India as well as some parts of north-west and south peninsular India, where ‘below normal’ rainfall was predicted.

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