Farmers across the country have sown paddy across 15.65 mln ha this kharif season, down 12.4% on year. Paddy acreage was also below the average area of 17.94 mln ha for the period. The fall in acreage can be attributed to lower planting in top growers Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Punjab. Acreage in Punjab has declined as the state government is encouraging farmers to shift to coarse grains like maize from more water-intensive crops like paddy to check the fall in groundwater level.