New Delhi, May 14 -- Bolstered by promising monsoon forecasts, farmers are aggressively boosting summer sowing, fuelling expectations of bumper yields and a potential easing of inflation.

Also Read | Natural farming is booming-now it may finally get a certification

The area under summer crop sowing has reached 7.88 million hectares as of 9 May, 9.5% more from the same period a year ago, according to data shared by the ministry of agriculture and farmers' welfare. Acreages of all the crops, including paddy, pulses, coarse cereals and oilseeds, are higher from a year ago.

The current summer area coverage is also 10.5% more than the five-year average of 7.13 million hectares, the agriculture ministry data showed. The average summer sowing...