Wheat has been sown in 325.88 lakh hectare till Friday, as against 329.11 lakh hectare in the same period a year ago. Sowing of main Rabi crops like wheat starts in October and harvesting starts from April.
According to the data, the total area under oilseeds increased sharply to 97.07 lakh hectare as on December 31, 2021, from 80.64 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.
The maximum area under rapeseed and mustard in oilseeds was around 88.54 lakh hectares during the period under review, as against 72.30 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. The data shows that the area under groundnut remained almost unchanged at 3.64 lakh hectare, linseed at 2.57 lakh hectare, sunflower at 1.01 lakh hectare, safflower 0.68 lakh hectare, sesame at 0.30 lakh hectare and other oilseeds at 0.33 lakh hectare during this period.
The increase in mustard crop area is a positive sign as the country is dependent on imports to meet 60 per cent of its domestic requirement and is struggling to keep retail prices under control amid global price hike conditions.
In case of other major rabi crops, the area under sowing of pulses remained marginally lower at 152.62 lakh hectares as on December 31, 2021, as against 154.04 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.
Chana, the main rabi pulse, has been sown in a slightly higher area of 107.69 lakh hectares as against 105.68 lakh hectares in the same period a year ago.
So far in the Rabi season of the current crop year 2021-22 (July-June), lentil sown area is slightly higher in 16.76 lakh hectares, while peas in 9.61 lakh hectares, urad bean in 5.66 lakh hectares and moong in 2.29 lakh hectares has gone.
Sowing area is less under coarse and nutritious cereals. Their total cultivated area is only 45.05 lakh hectare as against 46.19 lakh hectare earlier. So far this Rabi season, jowar has been sown in 23.17 lakh hectare which is less than 26.05 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, while maize has increased to 14.80 lakh hectare as against 12.89 lakh hectare.
The data shows that the total area under all rabi crops has increased to 634.68 lakh hectares so far in the 2021-22 rabi season from 625.04 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.
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