Sowing of kharif crop in the country has picked up due to good monsoon rains and its acerage has crossed over four lakh hectare. As per the Agriculture Ministry data, rice has been sown in nearly 82 lakh hectare so far which is 6 per cent more than the area covered during the same period last year. There has also been a significant jump in the acerage of pulses as the crop has been sown in nearly 46 lakh hectare which is up by 26 per cent. Cultivation of oilseeds is lower by around 20 lakh hectare and coarse cereals by 2.78 lakh hectare.The total area covered under all kharif crops is down by 6 per cent so far this this kharif season as compared to 431.82 lakh hectare last year.Meanwhile, in the first week of July and the country as a whole has received 35 per cent above normal rains which was 11 per cent deficient in June.The southwest monsoon is critical for kharif crops as over half of India's farm land does not have assured irrigation. Sowing of kharif crops begins with the onset of monsoon from June.