The total sown area under kharif crop as on August 21, 2015 stood at 938.41 lakh hectare compared to 929.48 lakh hectare for the corresponding period last year.

A press release from the Ministry said rice was sown/transplanted in 333.65 lakh hectare, pulses in 101.96 lakh hectare, coarse cereals in 167.69 lakh hectare, oilseeds in 168.25 lakh hectare, cotton in 110.23 lakh hectare, sugarcane in 47.84 lakh hectare and jute and mesta in 7.80 lakh hectare.

Last year, cotton, oilseeds and jute and mesta was sown in more hectare than the current year.

Cotton in 118.81 lakh hectare, oilseeds in 168.45 lakh hectare and jute and mesta in 8.13 lakh hectare, the release said.

However, it was less in the case of rice which was sown/transplanted in 332.09 lakh hectare, pulses in 92.57 lakh hectare, coarse cereals in 162.27 lakh hectare and sugarcane in 47.17 lakh hectare.