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Informist, Friday, Mar. 20, 2026

 

MUMBAI – The area under rabi crops in Andhra Pradesh reached 2.75 million hectares as of Wednesday, up 46% from 1.88 million sown in the same period last year, according to a report released by the state agriculture department. The acreage so far has surpassed the normal for the season, which is 2.07 million hectares.

 

Paddy acreage was up at 917,000 hectares from 671,000 hectares a year ago, the report showed. The acreage under maize surged to 500,000 hectares from 187,000 hectares last year, and that of jowar also rose to 115,000 hectares from 79,000 hectares a year ago.

 

The area sown under chana was 412,000 hectares, up from 303,000 hectares last year, according to the report. The acreage under urad was up to 334,000 hectares from 280,000 hectares last year, while that of moong also rose to 78,000 hectares from 56,000 hectares a year ago. The total area sown under rabi pulses was 917,000 hectares, up from 741,000 hectares last year.

 

The total area sown under all rabi oilseeds so far was 135,000 hectares, up from 73,000 hectares covered in the previous year, the report showed. Groundnut acreage was up at 91,000 hectares from 52,000 hectares last year, while that of sesame rose to 25,000 hectares from 16,000 hectares last year.

 

Tobacco acreage in the state slipped to 117,000 hectares from 121,000 hectares a year ago, according to the report. 

 

From Oct. 1-Dec. 31— or the northeast monsoon season— the state recorded 339.3 millimetres of rainfall, which is 18?ove the normal for the period, the report showed. From Jan. 1-Feb. 28, it recorded 3.4 millimetres of rainfall, 79?low normal for the period. In March so far, the state has received 0.8 millimetres of rainfall, which is 94?low normal for the period.

 

The water level in reservoirs across Andhra Pradesh was 52% of the live storage capacity as of Friday, compared to 45% a year ago, according to data from the state's water resources department.  End

 

Reported by Shreya Shetty

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

 

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