Kharif sowing progressing well: Govt

The Ministry of Agriculture today said that reports received from the states indicated that Kharif sowing had started in most of them and was progressing well.

So far, rice has been planted in 5.2 lakh hectare (ha), cotton in 12.5 lakh ha, sugar cane in 38.2 lakh ha and jute in 8.1 lakh ha, an official statement said.

Among oilseeds, groundnut has been sown in 26,000 ha, soybean in 32,000 ha, sunflower in 64,000 ha, sesamum in 51,000 ha and castor in 4,000 ha, it said.

Arhar has been sown in 16,000 ha so far, urad in 15,000 ha, moong in 37,000 ha and other pulses in 58,000 ha, it said.

Sowing of coarse cereals has not been reported so far from any state, the statement added.

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