Area sown to paddy declined by 5.99% to 367.55 lakh hectare so far in the ongoing Kharif season as a shortfall in rains has led to less coverage in some States, according to the Agriculture Ministry data released on Friday.
Paddy was sown in 390.99 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, the data showed.
It is the main Kharif crop, sowing of which begins with the onset of the southwest monsoon from June and harvesting from October onwards.