The ongoing Kharif season has witnessed a notable rise in crop sowing across the country. According to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture, as of August 8, total sowing has reached 995.63 lakh hectares, marking a 4.02% increase compared to 957.15 lakh hectares during the same period last year. Paddy Transplantation Sees Significant Growth Paddy sowing has registered a sharp increase this season. So far, 364.80 lakh hectares have been brought under paddy cultivation, compared to 325.36 lakh hectares during the same period last year. This growth is attributed to favorable monsoon conditions and better water availability. Pulses: Slight Growth Overall Pulses acreage has seen a marginal rise, reaching 106.68 lakh hectares, up from 106.52 lakh hectares last year. Breakdown of key pulses: Arhar (Tur): 40.86 lakh ha (last year 42.87 lakh ha) Moong: 33.21 lakh ha (last year 32.33 lakh ha) Urad: 20.15 lakh ha (last year 19.91 lakh ha) Moth: 9.06 lakh ha (last year 8.04 lakh ha) Other pulses: 3.24 lakh ha (last year 3.21 lakh ha) Oilseeds Sowing Declines Oilseed crops have seen a dip in acreage this Kharif. Total sowing stands at 175.61 lakh hectares, down from 182.43 lakh hectares last year. Breakdown: Groundnut: 43.23 lakh ha (last year 45.06 lakh ha) Soybean: 119.51 lakh ha (last year 124.24 lakh ha) Sunflower: 0.61 lakh ha (last year 0.68 lakh ha) However, castor seed sowing has increased to 3.19 lakh hectares (from 2.32 lakh ha), while sesame (til) has declined to 8.89 lakh hectares, compared to 9.81 lakh hectares last year. Coarse Cereals Show Positive Trend Coarse grains have shown a healthy increase in sowing this season. Total acreage is 178.73 lakh hectares, compared to 170.96 lakh hectares last year. Maize: 91.89 lakh ha (last year 83.15 lakh ha) Bajra (Pearl Millet): 64.86 lakh ha (last year 65.76 lakh ha) Jowar (Sorghum): 13.69 lakh ha (last year 13.96 lakh ha) Mixed Trends in Sugarcane and Cotton Sugarcane sowing has increased slightly to 57.31 lakh hectares, up from 55.68 lakh hectares last year. On the other hand, cotton has seen a decline with 106.96 lakh hectares under cultivation, compared to 110.49 lakh hectares during the same period in the previous season.