Farmers in the country have planted kharif paddy over 632,000 ha as of 08 June, down 4.8% from a year ago. The year-on-year lag has come down from over 40% a week ago as sowing is picking up pace. The current acreage is also higher than the normal area for the corresponding period, which is 405,000 ha. So far, paddy sowing has started in 13 states and acreage was highest in Uttarakhand, up 1.7% on year at 123,000 ha. Sowing has gained momentum in northeastern states. In Meghalaya, acreage was up 1% on year at 100,000 ha, while in Assam, it was 2.5% higher at 83,000 ha. Kharif sowing has also begun in West Bengal, a key producer, and 20,000 ha was covered under paddy, up 17.6% from a year ago.