Kharif crops sown over record 1095.38 hectares; spur hopes for bumper harvest

On the back of favourable rains, farmers across the country have achieved a record acreage of Kharif crops despite the Covid-19 pandemic, raising hopes of a bumper harvest.

The total acreage achieved for the ongoing Kharif season is 1095.38 lakh hectares, 6.32% higher than that achieved for the corresponding period of the previous year.

Farmers have taken to cultivating oilseeds enthusiastically with acreage touching 194.75 lakh hectares, nearly 12% more than the previous year’s 174 lakh hectares.

Sowing of pulses has also increased to 136.79 lakh hectares, 4.67% more than the previous year’s mark of 130.68 lakh hectares.

“There is no impact of Covid-19 on the progress of area coverage under Kharif crops,” Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.

Area sown to coarse cereals was reported on 179.36 lakh hectares against 176.25 lakh hectares of last year, marking an increase of 1.77%, the Agriculture Ministry said.

Sugarcane was being cultivated across 52.38 lakh hectares as against 51.71 lakh hectares of last year, an increase of 1.30%.

Tomar said timely inputs made available to farmers such as seeds, pesticides, machinery and credit led to larger coverage of areas under cultivation even during the lockdown period.

Agriculture was the only sector to report growth in the first quarter of the 2020-21 financial year when the overall GDP contracted by 23.9%.

The government had exempted the agriculture sector from the lockdown thus making the movement of farm labour and machinery easier.

Besides government efforts, hiring farm machinery has been made easier by private players by launching apps for farmers that use regional languages.

“The pandemic has led to a spurt in demand for farm machinery, mainly because of less availability of farm labour. The apps help farmers rent machinery of their choice with a few taps on the mobile screens. A separate app for owners of machinery also helps them monitor the use remotely,” said Mrityunjaya Singh, Managing Director CLAAS Agricultural Machinery Pvt Ltd.

While planting of rice is still continuing in some parts of the country, sowing of pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, millets is almost over.

The final figures for sowing for Kharif crops will be closed on October 2, the ministry said.