New Delhi, April 6 -- India's summer crop sowing has edged up marginally so far this season, with higher acreage under pulses, coarse cereals and oilseeds offsetting a sharp decline in rice, amid concerns over input supplies following the war in West Asia.

Total area under summer crops stood at 5.82 million hectares as of 3 April, up from 5.78 million hectares a year earlier, according to data released by the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare. The increase, though modest, comes even as paddy sowing lagged, masking divergent trends across crop categories.

The normal summer cropping area, based on averages from 2022-23 to 2024-25, is 7.53 million hectares, indicating scope for further expansion in the coming weeks.

The summer (...