Rice cultivation increases 24% to 231 lakh hectare

New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) Rice is cultivated on an area of 231.3 lakh hectares (lh) so far as compared to 207 lh sown by this period last year, registering an increase of 24 per cent.

However, the total area under coarse grains has gone down.

Similary, area under pulses and oilseeds is lower as compared to the last kharif season.

With the monsoon reviving over central parts of the country, the area under these crops is likely to increase, said an official statement here.

Jowar covered 22.8 lh, lesser than last year's area of 29.5 lh, whereas cultivation of Bajra occupied 60.1 lh while last year's sown area was 73.2 by this period. Maize was grown in 7.5 lh less than that of last years area under cultivation of 58.5 lh.

Total of coarse cereals crops was spread over 151.4 lh as comparison to 179.6 lh last year till now.

Groundnut covered 41.3 lh as compared to 44.4 lh last year.

However, area under Soybean cultivation increased to 87.7 lh against 79.4 lh by this period last year.

Total of oilseeds crops now spread on 144.3 lh area, slightly less than last year's at 146.7 lh, and area under pulses also came down to 71.0 lh as compared to 92.9 lh last year.

Similarly, area under cotton decreased by 10 lh at 69.7 lh and Sugarcane too by 10 lh at 43.9 lh.

UNI JSS MP CS2030