Kharif crop sowing has exceeded 1,104 lakh hectares, up from 1,096 lakh hectares last reported (as of September 17), as paddy, coarse cereals, oilseed and sugarcane crossed the normal area, the government said on Monday. 

Paddy sowing reached 413 lakh hectares coverage (as of September 23), as compared to 404 lakh hectares during the corresponding period of last year, as per data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

For pulses, 128.58 lakh hectare area coverage has been reported, compared to 119.28 lakh hectares during the corresponding period of last year. The area coverage under coarse cereals reached 192.55 lakh hectares area coverage under, compared to 186.07 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year. As regards oilseeds, 193.32 lakh hectares coverage has been reported, compared to 190.92 lakh hectares last year.

Sugarcane saw 57.68 lakh hectares area coverage, compared to 57.11 lakh hectares during the corresponding period of last year.

A better monsoon this year has helped paddy sowing surpass the average area of the last five years. The sown area has gone up in the current season as better monsoon rains have facilitated the sowing in unirrigated areas of the country which account for close to 50 per cent of the country’s farmland.

Meanwhile, the horticulture production in the country is estimated to reach about 353.19 million tonnes in 28.98 million hectares area in 2023-24. The production of fruits, honey, flowers, plantation crops, spices, aromatics, and medicinal plants is estimated to increase over 2022-23, as per data (third advance estimates) from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Moreover, the agriculture sector is expected to get a further boost as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced an outlay of Rs 1.52 lakh crore in the Budget 2024-25 to increase production and resilience in the agriculture and allied sectors.