Encouraged by good rains and higher prices, farmers across India have sown a record area of different varieties of pulses, shows data released by the agriculture ministry.

So far, an area of 12.1 million hectares has been planted with pulses, over 11% more than the five-year average sowing of the crop.

While these numbers could rise as the data is gradually updated compared to year-ago figures, sowing of pulses is said to be nearly 35% more -12.1 million hectares as against 8.97 million hectares in 2015-16.

While areas under pulses touched a record high, sowing of cotton has shown a 12.6% downward trend compared to the normal on fears of pest infestation, the data adds. So far, an area of 9.65 million hectares has used for planting of cotton compared to 10.57 million hectares planted in the same period last year.

Interestingly, the data shows that while the area under the genetically modified Bt cotton fell from 9.7 million hectares in 2015-16 to 8 million hectares in 2016-17, area under non-Bt desi (indigenous) cotton rose from 0.88 million hectares to 1.66 million hectares during this period.

The reason for the reduction in area of cotton seed sowing in the current year is the fear of whitefly infestation in Punjab and Haryana and pink boll worm in central and southern India, said a note from the agriculture ministry.