★ Strong surge in sowing; Rajasthan and Telangana lead the way

★ This year, moong (green gram) sowing has shown a remarkable increase across major Indian states.

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★ Rajasthan has reported sowing over 8.92 lakh hectares, which is 2.84 lakh hectares more than last year.

★ Telangana has also shown significant progress, with a 0.74 lakh hectare increase, bringing the total to 1.08 lakh hectares.

★ Gujarat recorded a marginal increase of 0.06 lakh hectares.

★ Maharashtra, however, saw a decline of 0.17 lakh hectares in sowing area.

★ In total, these states have covered 19.08 lakh hectares under moong so far, which is 8.75 lakh hectares higher than the previous year.

★ At the all-India level, moong sowing has reached 16.58 lakh hectares, which is 9.85 lakh hectares more than the same period last year.

★ According to i-Grain India, there is a strong possibility of further increase in moong sowing during the current kharif season. Moong has the highest MSP among all pulses, and being a short-duration crop, it can be harvested just before the rabi mustard sowing begins. Additionally, major producing states have good levels of government procurement for moong, and there is no significant import threat.

★ This combination of factors makes moong an attractive option for farmers this season.