New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS): Better monsoon this year has helped paddy sowing surpass the average area of the last five years. The paddy cultivation reached 408.72 lakh hectares (as of September 2), exceeding the average of 401.55 lakh hectares.

This represents a 3.84 per cent increase in paddy cultivation compared to last year, when 393.57 lakh hectares were sown by this time.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kharif crop sowing has expanded by 1.91 per cent to 1,087.33 lakh hectares, up from 1,066.89 lakh hectares at the same time last year.

The data showed that 125.13 lakh hectares area coverage under pulses has been reported, compared to 116.66 lakh hectares during the corresponding period of last year.

Also, 187.74 lakh hectares area coverage under coarse cereals has been reported, compared to 181.06 lakh hectares during the corresponding period of last year

For oilseeds, 190.63 lakh hectares area coverage been reported by August 30, compared to 188.83 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year

Meanwhile, 57.68 lakh hectares area coverage under Sugarcane has been reported compared to 57.11 lakh hectares during the corresponding period of last year, the ministry data showed.

The sown area has gone up in the current season as better monsoon rains have facilitated the sowing in unirrigated areas of the country which account for close to 50 per cent of the country’s farmland.

The agriculture sector is expected to get a further boost as Finance Minister Nirmala 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.