Helped by an early start and conducive weather, farmers in India have completed planting of winter (rabi) crops on 62 per cent of the normal area this year, as per the latest data of the Agriculture Ministry. While 97 cent of the normal area under mustard, the key oilseed crop of the rabi season, has been covered, in the case of chana (gram) and wheat, 62 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively, of the normal area has been covered.
The total area under all agriculture crops was 9.9 per cent higher at 393.07 lakh hectare (lh) as of November 28, against 357.73 lh a year ago, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement. The sown area under wheat as of November 28 was 187.37 lh against 160.26 lh a year ago. The normal area (average of last five years) of all rabi crops is 637.81 lh.
Among other crops, the sowing area under the rabi season’s paddy was 7.7 per cent higher at 9.10 lh from 8.45 lh and that of maize was 20.8 per cent more at 8.76 lh from 7.25 lh. The barley acreage was 4.60 lh against 4.27 lh and jowar at 14.98 lh against 14.43 lh. The total acreage under nutri/coarse cereals was 29.06 lh, up 9.3 per cent from 26.58 lh.
