New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- The total area sown under kharif crops stood at 1,086.31 lakh hectares as of September 4, down 17.69 lakh hectares from the corresponding period last year, affected by a sharp decline in rice coverage, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Rice coverage stood at 421.82 lakh hectares, compared with 438.19 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year, marking a decline of 16.37 lakh hectares. The ministry said the major reductions were reported in Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

The overall decline in kharif coverage was partly offset by higher sowing of pulses. Area under total pulses rose to 117.13 lakh he...