Sowing area of Rabi crops down 5% at 434.66 lakh hectares

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Area sown under Rabi crops during 2023 has reached 434.66 lakh hectares (lh) until December 1, which is 67 per cent of the normal area. But it is down by 5 per cent from 458.77 lh during the corresponding period of last year.

Wheat acreage has been reported at 187.88 lh compared with 197.14 lh year-ago, which is lower by 5 per cent. However, higher area coverage has been reported from Uttar Pradesh by 2.19 lh and Madhya Pradesh 2.13 lh. But, Rajasthan has reported a drop of 4.60 lh, so also are Bihar 3.46 lh, Gujarat 1.81 lh and Haryana 0.81 lh. Karnataka and Maharashtra have also reported a dip in wheat acreage.

The Agriculture Ministry has been relying on 60 per cent area coverage of wheat with climate-resilient varieties to minimise any adverse impact of El Nino as the targeted production has been set at 114 million tonnes (mt).

Winter-grown pulses acreage has reached 108.09 lh compared with 119.37 lh, down by 9 per cent even though higher area has been covered under lentil (masur). The sowing area of major rabi pulse chana (gram) is down by 12 per cent to 75.09 lh and that of lentil up by 2 per cent at 14.30 lh.

In coarse cereals, the sowing area has reached 39.93 lh, down by 4 per cent from 41.68 lh. Jowar acreage has been reported at 16.74 lh, down 8 per cent from 18.21 lh and maize acreage up by 2 per cent at 14.55 lh from 14.27 lh year-ago. Barley sowing, too, is lower 1 per cent at 7.92 lh from 7.98 lh.

Higher sowing of mustard has helped the overall oilseeds sowing look comfortable. Mustard acreage has already exceeded the normal area of 73.06 lh and reached 84.26 lh, a tad higher from 83.71 lh in the corresponding period of 2022. total oilseeds acreage has been reported at 89.49 lh, lower from 89.88 lh year-ago, in which groundnut area is down by 54,000 hectares. Though groundnut is a kharif crop, it is also grown on about 7 lh during winter, mainly in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Paddy acreage reached 9.28 lh (10.70 lh) and maximum area has been reported from Tamil Nadu.

Soil moisture during November 26-30 was less than average of the past 8 years in eastern parts of Rajasthan, Karnataka, Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh, north western part of Bihar, areas in Maharashtra close to Karnataka. However, improvement in soil moisture in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra was observed from the previous week.