The gross area under rice in Kerala is __________ lakh ha:

Correct option is C

✔️ (c) 1.98: As per the recent agricultural statistics from Kerala, the gross area under rice cultivation is approximately 1.98 lakh hectares.
· The area has declined over the decades due to urbanization and shift to cash crops
· However, Kuttanad, Palakkad, and Kole lands remain major rice-growing regions
· The gross area includes both single and multiple cropped areas in the same year
❌ (a), (b), (d): These values either overestimate or underestimate the current rice cultivation area in Kerala.