New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS): Healthy monsoon has helped paddy sowing reach 410 lakh hectare area coverage, compared to 393.57 lakh hectare during the corresponding period of last year, the government said on Tuesday.

Overall, kharif crop sowing has exceeded 1,096 lakh hectares, up from 1,087.33 lakh hectares last reported (as of September 2).

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, 127.77 lakh hectare area coverage under pulses has been reported (till September 17), compared to 118.43 lakh hectare during the corresponding period of last year.

About 189.67 lakh ha area coverage under coarse cereals has been reported, compared to 183.11 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year, the data showed.

According to the ministry, 193.32 lakh ha area coverage under oilseeds has been reported, compared to 190.37 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year

About 57.68 lakh hectare area coverage under sugarcane has been reported compared to 57.11 lakh hectare during the corresponding period of last year.

Better monsoon this year has helped paddy sowing surpass the average area of the last five years.

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.