Kharif crop area in Rajasthan is about 10 lakh hectares behind last year
30-Jul-2024 12:03 PM
Jaipur. Despite the arrival of southwest monsoon before the scheduled time and regular good rains in Rajasthan, an important agricultural producing state located in the western part of the country, the area under Kharif crops is about 10 lakh hectares behind last year.
According to the latest data released by the State Agriculture Department, during the current year, till July 29, the total production area of Kharif crops in Rajasthan could reach only 144.93 lakh hectares, which is 7.68 lakh hectares less than the sowing area of 154.61 lakh hectares during the same period last year.
It is noteworthy that in 2023-24, the total production area of Kharif crops there was recorded at 162.88 lakh hectares. Sowing of Kharif crops is still going on in some parts of the state.
According to the available official data, during the current Kharif season of 2024, the total production area of cereal crops including paddy decreased from 62.71 lakh hectares to 59.71 lakh hectares as compared to the year 2023. Under this,
the area of paddy increased from 2.34 lakh hectares to 2.68 lakh hectares, the sowing area of jowar improved from 6.14 lakh hectares to 6.32 lakh hectares and the area of maize improved from 9.40 lakh hectares to 9.51 lakh hectares, but the sowing area of millet decreased from 44.75 lakh hectares to 41.18 lakh hectares.
Similarly, the total production area of pulses crops also decreased from 34.06 lakh hectares last year to 32.98 lakh hectares this time. Under this, although the sowing area of moong improved from 21.37 lakh hectares to 21.63 lakh hectares, but the area of moth decreased from 8.78 lakh hectares to 7.78 lakh hectares,
the production area of urad fell from 3.18 lakh hectares to 2.96 lakh hectares and the area of chola slipped from 63 thousand hectares to 54 thousand hectares. In Rajasthan, tuvar is cultivated in a very limited area.
The sowing area of oilseed crops also decreased from 22.90 lakh hectares last year to 21.67 lakh hectares this time. Under this, although the production area of groundnut improved from 7.97 lakh hectares to 8.41 lakh hectares.
But the area under soybean fell from 11.42 lakh hectares to 10.97 lakh hectares, area under sesame fell from 2.27 lakh hectares to 1.94 lakh hectares and area under castor from 1.24 lakh hectares to 35 thousand hectares. Sowing of oilseed crops is still going on in some areas.
Apart from this, the area under cotton production in Rajasthan fell from 7.83 lakh hectares to 5.04 lakh hectares and area under guar fell from 23.40 lakh hectares to 22.10 lakh hectares, but there has been some increase in the area under sugarcane.
It is notable that Rajasthan is the largest producer of millet, moong, moth, chola and guar under Kharif crops in the country,
while it is second in the production of groundnut and castor and third in the production of soybean.