Area under rice crop goes up to 282 lakh hectare

New Delhi, Aug 18 (UNI) The area under rice, the most important kharif foodgrain crop, has gone up to 282.1 lakh hectare (ha) as compared to 256.4 lakh ha by this time last year.

Area under coarse grains and pulses is lower compared to last year.

Area under oilseeds is almost as much as the area under these crops at this time last year.

The cropped areas this year and last year for major kharif crops are as follows: lakh* hectare Crop This year's area Last year's area [as on 17th August] [as on 17th August] Rice 282.1 256.4 Jowar 26.4 31.1 Bajra 67.4 76.1 Maize 63.1 69.8 Total of 171.1 194.1 coarse cereals Groundnut 48.1 50.0 Soyabean 92.8 86.0 Total of oilseeds 163.9 164.5 Arhar 29.5 33.8 Urad 18.6 23.2 Moong 21.9 29.3 Total of pulses 89.8 105.7 Cotton 85.9 90.7 Sugarcane 44.1 53.0 Jute 7.4 8.3.

-- UNI BBS SV KN1802