New Delhi, Sept. 22 -- The kharif sowing pace has nearly caught up with last year, although acreage under several key crops remains lower, according to agriculture ministry data. Farmers had sown 110.39 million hectares as of 18 September, down 1.3% from a year earlier, or 1.5 million hectares lower than last year. The acreage is also close to the ministry's normal benchmark of 110.4 million hectares.

The headline figure obscures declines in key crops such as rice, maize, sugarcane and cotton, which are crucial to India's food and fibre supplies. Rice acreage fell 3.7% year-on-year to 42.9 million hectares.

Pulses offered some support, with acreage rising 1.4% to 11.9 million hectares, led by gains in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana...