Area sown to pulses remained lower by 8.58% at 119.91 lakh hectares till last week of the ongoing kharif season due to 11% monsoon rain deficit in the country, according to the agriculture ministry data.

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Sowing of kharif crops begins with the onset of the southwestern summer monsoons that occur from June through September.

Paddy is the main kharif crop, besides pulses, oilseeds, cotton and sugarcane.

As per the data released by the agriculture ministry, total area sown to paddy remained higher at 403.41 lakh hectares till September 8 of the ongoing kharif season, as against 392.81 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

However in case of pulses, the sowing was lagging and coverage was lower at 119.91 lakh hectares as against 131.17 lakh hectares in the said period a year ago.

Pulses acreage was down maximum in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

In Madhya Pradesh, the pulses acreage remained less at 19.72 lakh hectares till September 8 of the ongoing kharif season as against 23.44 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Pulses coverage remained lower in Karnataka too at 16.70 lakh hectares as against 20.07 lakh hectares, while that in Maharasthra at 16.15 lakh hectares as against 18.89 lakh hectares in the said period.

But the pulses coverage in Rajasthan remained higher at 35.30 lakh hectares so far this kharif season as against 33.99 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

This could compensate slightly the lag in other major producing states.

As per the data, area under tur was down at 42.92 lakh hectares till September 8 of this kharif season as against 45.61 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Urad coverage was also lower at 31.89 lakh hectares as against 37.08 lakh hectares, while moonbean was sown in less area at 31.11 lakh hectares as against 33.67 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Kulthi was sown in 31,000 hectares, while other pulses in 13.68 lakh hectares till September 8.

The pulses coverage remained lower due to lack of rains at the time of sowing.

As per the MeT Department, there was 11% deficit in monsoon rains in the country between June 1 and September 6. There was 12% deficit in monsoon in central India and 11% deficit in rainfall in south peninsula during the said period.

According to the ministry data, coarse cereals was sown in 182.21 lakh hectares so far, marginally higher than 181.24 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Oilseeds were sown in 191.49 lakh hectares so far, marginally lower than 193.30 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Among cash crops, area sown to sugarcane increased to 59.91 lakh hectares till September 8 of the current kharif season as against 55.65 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

But area sown to cotton remained marginally lower at 125 lakh hectares and jute/mesta at 6.57 lakh hectares so far in the current kharif season.

Total area sown to all kharif crops remained flat at 1,088.50 lakh hectares till September 8 of the current kharif season as against 1,088.02 lakh hectares in the year-ago period, the data showed.