Area under Coverage for Summer Crops in India Slightly Decreases, Pulse & Coarse Cereal Sowing Increases

The latest data released by the Ministry of Agriculture reveals that the area under coverage for summer crops in India has marginally decreased to 69.97 lakh hectares, compared to 71.90 lakh hectares during the same period last year.

Summer crops in India include jowar, bajra, ragi, green gram, maize, sunflower, groundnut, and sesamum. The country follows three cropping seasons: summer, kharif, and rabi. Summer crops are produced between the rabi and kharif seasons and are sown in June-July and harvested in October-November.

According to ministry data, the area planted for pulses and coarse cereals has increased year on year, while rice and oilseeds have declined. The area under pulses has risen from 19.09 lakh hectares to 19.81 lakh hectares, and for coarse cereals, it has increased from 11.54 lakh hectares to 11.93 lakh hectares.

On the other hand, the area under rice has declined from 30.28 lakh hectares to 28.07 lakh hectares, and for oilseeds, it has decreased from 11.02 lakh hectares to 10.17 lakh hectares.

The government's strategy to achieve these targets involves increasing crop area through inter-cropping, crop diversification, and productivity enhancement. This will be accomplished by introducing higher-yield seeds and adopting suitable agronomic practices in low-yielding regions.

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Separately, the Union Agriculture Ministry has set a target of a record 3,320 lakh tonnes (332 million tonnes) of foodgrain production for 2023-24, exceeding the previous year's projection of 3,235 lakh tonnes. The production target for pulses has been set at 292.5 lakh tonnes, compared to 278.1 lakh tonnes in the current year, while oilseeds production will be increased from 400 lakh tonnes to 440 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. Furthermore, the millet production target has been raised to 170 lakh tonnes, up from 159.1 lakh tonnes the previous year.

As the summer crop season progresses, farmers will closely monitor the weather conditions and make informed decisions to ensure optimal crop growth and maximize yields. The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to provide support and guidance to farmers across the country to achieve the desired production targets and contribute to the nation's agricultural growth.

source-ANI

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