Area sown with Kharif crops lower than last year

The late arrival of monsoons could be a reason for this, as the Indian Meterological Department had put out alerts mid-June asking farmers to delay sowing of crops.

Sowing of Kharif crops lags behind this monsoons. Photo: PTI

The total area sown with Kharif crops still stands behind last years sowing. The late arrival of monsoons could be a reason for this, as the Indian Meterological Department had put out alerts mid-June asking farmers to delay sowing of crops.

As the numbers currently stand, 406.27 lakh hectares has been sown with Kharif crops as on July 8, 2016 as compared to 431.82 lakh hectares during the same period last year, according to reports received from various states across India.

It has been reported that rice has been sown or transplanted in 81.93 lakh hectares, pulses in 45.94 lakh hectares, coarse cereals in 75.02 lakh hectares, oilseeds in 82.28 lakh hectares, sugarcane in 45.78 lakh hectares and cotton in 67.89 lakh hectares.

The details of the area covered so far and that covered during this time last year are given below:

Crop	Area sown in 2016-17	Area sown in 2015-16 (Lakh hectare)
Rice	81.93	77.31
Pulses	45.94	36.44
Coarse Cereals	75.02	77.80
Oilseeds	82.28	101.15
Sugarcane	45.78	43.68
Jute & Mesta	7.43	7.61
Cotton	67.89	87.83
Total	406.27	431.82