Rabi sowing marginally higher than 5-year average

Crop sowing in the ongoing rabi season remained marginally higher than the average of the past five years in the second week of January owing to continued increase in acreage under pulses and wheat.

Sowing of rice and coarse cereals, however, remained lower than the previous five years’ average (normal of corresponding week), while oilseed acreage was stagnant.

The sowing figures up to January 13 were released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday. Total sowing till January 13 in the current rabi season (which starts in October) increased 2.66 per cent to 616.21 lakh hectares (lh) compared with the normal of corresponding week of 600.19 lh.

Good monsoon and higher support prices aided the rise in total acreage.

Wheat sowing increased to 309.60 lh (300.32 lh).

Sowing of rice till the second week of January declined to 14.92 lh compared with the normal of corresponding week at 19.28 lh.

Increased sowing was reported from Assam, Chhattisgarh and Tripura, while sowing in the Southern States such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala declined.

Pulses posted the highest increase in acreage till January 13 at about 155.35 lh (142.05 lh).

Higher acreage was reported from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

Acreage under coarse cereals declined to 54.87 lh (57.01 lh).

Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat saw an increase in area, while Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh posted a decline in coarse cereals’ area.

Sowing of oilseeds was stagnant at about 81.47 lh (81.53 lh).

Higher sowing was reported from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, while lower sowing was reported from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.