Rabi crop acreage stood at 617.97 lakh hectares (lh), against 659.31 lh at the same time last year – a 6.3 per cent decrease, according to latest data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.
Sowing has been hit as harvest of kharif crops was delayed due to erratic monsoon rains.
Rice acreage has dropped to 27.04 lh from 31.51 lh during the corresponding period a year ago.
Wheat, the main Rabi crop, has been sown on 306.35 lh compared with 315.32 lh a year ago, while the total area under coarse cereals has been pegged at 57.74 lh, down from 60.08 lh.
Pulses acreage is estimated to be 10 per cent lower at 145.92 lh against 162.21 lh. Similarly, oilseeds coverage has dropped 10 per cent to 80.92 lh this year against 90.2 lh.
The government has pegged 133.28 million tonnes of food grain output from the rabi crop in 2014-15, down from 136.88 million tonnes produced a year ago.