According to the data, rice cultivation, exhibited a notable increase, with an area of 237.58 lakh hectares sown this year compared to 233.25 lakh hectares during the same period in 2022.

In contrast, the pulse crops category witnessed a decrease in total cultivated area. This year, a total of 96.84 lakh hectares were sown with pulses, compared to 109.15 lakh hectares last year.

The sub-categories under pulses, namely Arhar, Urad bean, Moong bean, Kulthi, and other pulses, all saw a reduction in the area sown when compared to the figures from last year.

Shri Anna-cum-coarse cereals recorded an overall increase in the cultivation area, reaching 145.76 lakh hectare this year, compared to 143.48 lakh hectare in the previous year. However, the trends within this category which includes jowar, bajra, ragi, small millets, and maize displayed a mixed trend, with some showing an increase and others a decrease in the area covered.

Oilseed crops witnessed an upward trend, with a total of 171.02 lakh hectare under cultivation this year, up from 167.61 lakh hectare in the corresponding period in 2022. While groundnut and soybean witnessed an increase in the area sown, crops like sunflower, sesamum, niger, castor, and other oilseeds experienced a decline in coverage.

The cultivation of sugarcane and jute & mesta also observed growth, with 56.00 lakh hectare and 6.37 lakh hectare under cultivation, respectively. However, the cotton crop registered a slight decrease in the area sown, standing at 116.75 lakh hectare compared to 117.91 lakh hectare in the previous year.

Overall, the total area under coverage for summer crops in 2023 stands at 830.31 lakh hectare, only marginally lower than the 831.65 lakh hectare recorded during the same period in 2022.

Updated: 29 Jul 2023, 03:16 PM IST