The sowing of kharif crops maintained its impressive pace during the week that ended on Friday, led by pulses. The total area under pulses was recorded at 12.11 million hectares, the highest in the corresponding period of the previous five years and almost 35 per cent more than the area covered during the corresponding period last year.

In pulses, arhar has been the top gainer with area under the crop around 55 per cent more than the year-ago period. Arhar prices had touched around Rs 200 a kg last year and farmers seem to have been responding to this. Officials said some area under guar ...