India reports significant increase in paddy and pulses sowing due to robust monsoon

New Delhi: India has reported a significant increase in the sowing of paddy and pulses, thanks to a robust monsoon, according to data released by the ariculture ministry on Tuesday.

Paddy sowing increased by 16% to 39 million hectares, and pulses sowing increased by 7% to 12 million hectares as of 23 August. This growth in sowing could be promising for the agriculture sector and the government's efforts to boost farm productivity and production.

The total sowing area has reached 106 million hectares from 104 million hectares in the corresponding period of the last year.

The increase comes amid concerns about a surge in food inflation, which has remained more persistent than the headline inflation in recent months. India’s Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) escalated to 8.9% in the June quarter after averaging at 7.5% in 2023-24.

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The expansion in rice cultivation underscores an emphasis on boosting the production of this staple. Similarly, pulses, another crucial component of India’s agricultural landscape, also experienced a notable surge. 

The data also shows a broad increase across various crop categories.

Tur (Arhar) alone accounted for 4.59 million hectares. The pulse varieties include tur, urad, and moong–all staples of Indian kitchens.

The significance

The expansion in pulse cultivation is particularly significant in light of the government’s efforts to boost the production of protein-rich crops to meet domestic demand.

The area under coarse cereals has grown to 18 million hectares from 17 million hectares last year, indicating a rising interest in alternative grains.

“The significant increase in kharif sowing area shows that there is going to be bumper production of rice and pulses. It also indicates that the government would take a positive decision towards relaxing export ban on rice,” said B.B. Singh, former ADG, Indian Council of Agriculture Research.

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Oilseeds have experienced a modest increase, with sowing expanding to 18.8 million hectares from 18.7 million hectares.

Sugarcane cultivation has also seen a slight rise, reaching 5.76 million hectares compared to 5.71 million hectares last year.

However, not all crop categories have shown positive trends. The area sown with jute and mesta has decreased to 570,000 hectares from 656,000 hectares, and cotton cultivation has declined significantly to 11 million hectares from 12 million hectares in the previous year.