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Latest acreage data, released by the agriculture ministry on 20 August, shows that the sown area this year reached 1031 lakh hectares as on last Friday which was 21 lakh hectares more (2% rise) than the acreage during the corresponding period last year. It includes 369 lakh hectares of paddy, 186 lakh hectares of oilseeds, 181 lakh hectares of coarse cereals and 120 lakh h120 lakh hectares for pulses.
Overall, the sown area of all Kharif crops put together is merely 64 lakh hectares less than the ‘normal’ acreage and this gap is expected to be bridged by the end of the current sowing season. Higher acreage is a sign of higher output during 2024-25 crop year, provided the standing
crops do not get destroyed due to floods or extreme weather events before the harvest. Since there is a forecast of more rains in the remaining monsoon season, it increases the possibility of floods.