Blitz Bureau
THE country has reported significant progress in Kharif crop sowing this year, with the total coverage area surpassing 1,031 lakh hectares so far, compared to approximately 1,010 lakh hectares during the same period last year according to the data released by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare on August 20.
The area sown with paddy has reached over 369 lakh hectares, compared to 349.5 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. Pulses cultivation has also increased from 113.7 lakh hectares last year to over 120 lakh hectares this year. Coarse cereals were sown across over 181 lakh hectares, up from 176.4 last year. Oilseeds also saw an increase, with crops sown across 186.8 lakh hectares, compared to around 185 lakh hectares during the same period last year.
The agriculture sector is expected to get a further boost as Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman has announced an outlay of Rs 1.52 lakh crore in Budget 2024-25 to increase production and resilience in the agriculture and allied sectors. The measures unveiled to enhance productivity and resilience in the agriculture sector include Digital Public Infrastructure, ‘atmanirbharta’ for oil seeds and large-scale clusters for vegetable production.
