New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) India's rice production is likely to decline by 6 per cent to 104.99 million tonnes in the kharif season this year due to a fall in paddy acreage amidst rainfall deficit in key producing states, including Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

The agriculture ministry has released the first advance estimates for kharif season of 2022-23 crop year (July-June).

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Rice production stood at 111.76 million tonnes in kharif season of 2021-22 crop year.

Foodgrain production is estimated to drop at 149.92 million tonnes in the kharif season for 2022-23 as against 156.04 million tonnes in the previous season.

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Sowing of paddy, the main kharif crop, has declined by nearly 19 lakh hectares as on September 16 to 399.03 lakh hectares, as compared to 417.93 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Sowing in the kharif season begins with the onset of the southwest monsoon from June and harvesting from October onwards.

The paddy acreage has declined mainly in Jharkhand by 9.37 lakh hectares, followed by Madhya Pradesh (6.32 lakh hectares), West Bengal (3.65 lakh hectares), Uttar Pradesh (2.48 lakh hectares) and Bihar (1.97 lakh hectares).

About 85 per cent of India's total production comes from this season.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)