VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh cultivated 37.42 lakh hectares against the seasonal normal of 45.89 lakh hectares, during the Kharif season which ended on September 30 this year.

While the agriculture department targeted cultivation of paddy – the main Kharif crop – in at least 15.12 lakh hectares, the total area sown under paddy stood at 13.65 lakh hectares, covering 90 percent of the area normally targeted for cultivation this season.

This represents an increase of 0.55 lakh hectare in area, compared to the corresponding 2023 Kharif season.

The total sown area, at 37.42 lakh hectares covering 82 percent of the available area, is higher than that of the previous Kharif 2023 season, which recorded 35.42 lakh hectares of sowing.

According to the data, cereals and millets, including paddy, jowar, bajra, maize, ragi and other small millets, were sown in 15.82 lakh hectares as against normal 17.05 lakh hectares. However, the area sown to cereals and millets in Kharif 2024 is higher than that of the previous Kharif season, when these crops were sown in 14.92 lakh hectares.

Similarly, the area under cultivation of pulses including red gram, black gram, green gram, horse gram etc. has exceeded the normal sown area of ​​2.97 lakh hectares. Sowing was carried out in 3.94 lakh hectares, covering 133 percent of the area in the Kharif season 2024. The area under pulses in the previous Kharif season 2023 was 2.24 lakh hectares.

The area sown under oilseeds remained low, with only 4.98 lakh hectares cultivated against the normal area of ​​8.10 lakh hectares, covering 61 per cent of the area. This is an increase of 0.28 lakh hectares, compared to the previous Kharif 2023 season, where oilseed crops were sown in 4.70 lakh hectares.

The cotton crop was sown in 3.95 lakh hectares as against the normal cultivation area of ​​5.79 lakh hectares. Vegetables were sown in 0.67 lakh hectares as against normal 0.78 lakh hectares in the current Kharif season.