New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS): The good performance of the agricultural sector during the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to result Rabi crop sowing (corresponding to marketing year, or January-December 2021) increasing by 2 per cent more than the all-time high of 662 lakh hectare (ha) seen in the previous marketing year, a Crisil Research report said on Thursday.

According to the report, sowing for the rabi, or winter, crop season had already covered 348 lakh hectare (ha) by November 27. That is 4 per cent more than in the whole of the previous season and 2 per cent above the average of the past five years.

For Rabi crop the going has been good so far this year. Sowing has been spurred by abundant rains this year, an overall 9 per cent above normal monsoon has led to high soil moisture and 19 per cent higher reservoir levels compared with the average of the past five years.

Timely kharif harvest has also ensured rabi sowing was dot on schedule.

Last year, kharif harvest was delayed, so acreage growth under rabi was on a low base till November 2019. But from December, sowing picked up.

Hence, Crisil said that rabi sowing for the current season will be up against the high base from last December.

"Net-net, we expect current rabi sowing (corresponding to marketing year, or January-December 2021) to be 2 pet cent more than the all-time high of 662 lakh ha seen in the previous marketing year," the agency said.

However, there is a worry. After Cyclone Nivar, another cyclonic storm 'Burevi' is likely to hit Tamil Nadu in first week of December. It could damage ongoing rabi sowing of pulses in the state if it turns out to be severe, the report said.

Rabi sowing season is usually between November through Jan-end of the next year.