text: New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) After a sluggish start, sowing of kharif crops like paddy has picked up pace this week on account of good rains in several parts of the country, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today.
  Till last week, total acreage under kharif (summer) crops was down 23 per cent to 215.87 lakh hectare because of inadequate rainfall in June.
  Sowing of kharif (summer) crops begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June and harvesting is done from October onwards. Paddy is the main kharif crop.
  "Several parts of the country received good rainfall. The monsoon situation has improved and sowing of kharif crops has picked up pace in many places," Singh told reporters.
  The kharif sowing is expected to improve further as good rainfall is predicted for the months of July, August and September, he added.
  Echoing similar views, Agriculture Secretary S K Pattanayak said: "Good rains in several states have boosted sowing operations. The gap in sowing area has come down. Till last week, there was a gap of 60 lakh hectare, but this has come down to 30 lakh hectare in just last three days."
  Planting of paddy, pulses, oilseeds, and even cotton is expected to improve in the coming days, he told PTI.
  As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the overall monsoon deficiency has reduced to 9 per cent after several parts of the country received good rains.
  IMD has forecast overall monsoon to be better than normal this year and the government is targeting a record foodgrains production of 270.10 million tonnes in 2016-17. PTI LUX ANU