The revival of southwest monsoon rainfall helped the kharif crops sowing to pick up and shorten the gap with the sowing in the last season.
The rice crop was sown in 374.87 lakh hectares, which was marginally higher than the coverage of 374.27lakh hectares same time last year. Meanwhile, the pulses sowing at 101.05 lakh hectares and coarse cereals sowing at 182.34 lakh hectares was below last year's coverage of 108.13 lakh hectares and 196.05 lakh hectares as on date.
The area under oilseeds crops at 177.56 lakh hectares as on 26 September 2014 was below the coverage of 193.22 lakh hectares same time of last season
Sugarcane has been planted in 48.74 lakh hectares as on 26 September compared to 50.32 lakh hectares same time last season.
The area under cotton was higher at 126.55 lakh hectares as on 26 September compared to 114.37 lakh hectares same time last year.
Further, the area under jute and mesta stood at 8.15 lakh hectares as on 26 September 2014 compared to 8.34 lakh hectares a year ago.