Planting operations have gone as targeted by the Government. Monsoon performance has been better than normal until now. As per the Government’s weather department, the rainfall over the country as a whole during the second half of the season is likely to be 104 percent of the long period average (LPA). There has been satisfactory progress of sowing area coverage under Kharif crops. the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’s (MOAFW) reported on July 31, 2020 that overall planting for the Kharif 2020 crop season was 14 percent higher (in area). In context to the latest report released this Friday, the total Kharif crop area covered reached 1015.58 lakh ha area as on 14.08.2020, against 935.70 lakh ha area during the corresponding period of last year. Area has thus increased by 8.54% compared to last year same period.
Crop wise area sown is given below:
Rice: Acreage has increased by 43.4 Lakh ha roughly year on year. The government data revealed 351.86 lakh ha area coverage under rice as compared to 308.51 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year.
Pulses: In Pulses, total cropped area presently remains higher by 2.51 Lakh ha versus last year’s corresponding period. About 124.01 lakh ha area coverage under pulses is reported this versus 121.50 lakh ha, as reported last year same period.
Coarse Cereals: In case of coarse grains 5.84 lakh ha more area has been covered, as against last year. Latest data says that nearly 168.12 lakh ha area has been covered under coarse cereals so far, while last year it was 162.28 lakh ha, for the corresponding period.
Oilseeds: Oilseeds area covered till date is around 187.14 lakh ha area. Area covered during last year corresponding period was 163.57 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. So there has been an increase of 23.56 lakh ha area, year on year.
Sugarcane: About 52.02 Lakh ha area coverage is reported under sugarcane as compared to 51.40 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year. Year on year this indicates an increase of 0.62 lakh ha. .
Jute & Mesta: These crops has been planted around 6.96 lakh ha area as compared to 6.85 lakh ha, during last year’s corresponding period. Thus 0.11 lakh ha more area has been covered versus previous year.
Cotton: Planting continues on satisfactory note. Till date cotton has been covered in 125.48 lakh ha area approximately. Last year same period the coverage was reported 121.58 lakh ha. An increment of 3.90 lakh ha compared to previous year.
The Central Water Commission monitors the live storage status of 123 reservoirs around the country on a weekly basis. The department maintained that the on the whole the water reservoir storage position is better than the corresponding period of last year in the country. It is also better than the average storage level of the last ten years during the corresponding period. The Central Water Commission (CWC) reported last week that presently the live water storage in 123 reservoirs in different parts of the country is 88% of the corresponding period of the last year. Because of necessary steps taken by the government summer planting operation was not hampered this year. With the early arrival of Southwest monsoon across many states, farmers in many parts of the country took up Kharif cultivation early this year. Assuming the weather forecasts turn out to be accurate, this will be the second straight year for India to experience above average monsoon rainfall.
