Sowing of rabi crops such as chickpea and mustard has started off on a sluggish note in the key producing State of Rajasthan. Planting has been carried out on 42.17 lakh hectares (lh) in Rajasthan as of November 6. This is a tad lower than 49.44 lh logged in the same period last year, per the Rajasthan Agriculture Department’s latest data.

Rajasthan is targetting higher rabi acreage of 119.98 lh this winter cropping season over last year’s actual sown area of 112.70 lh. About 35.15 per cent of the targetted area of 119.98 lh has been covered till the first week of November.

Oilseeds acreage

Rapeseed mustard, the key winter oilseed crop, has been planted on about 25.73 lh till November 6, marginally lower than the same period last year’s 28.43 lh. Rajasthan, the largest producer of mustard, is targetting an acreage of 40.50 lh – higher than the previous year’s actual sown area of 40.01 lh.

About 63.53 per cent of the targetted area under mustard has been covered, so far. Including other oilseeds such as taramira and rapeseed, the acreage covered under total oilseeds stood at 26.26 lh, lower than 29.33 lh.

Seeding of gram (chana), the main winter pulses crop, has, so far, been carried out on over 10.75 lh, lower than the same period last year’s 12.53 lh. Coverage has been achieved in about 47.80 per cent of the targetted area of 22.50 lh.

Rajasthan is targetting higher gram acreage of 22.50 lh, up from last year’s actual sown area of 17.75 lh. Including other rabi pulses, the total acreage currently stands at 10.84 lh, lower than 12.74 lh.

Cereals up

Sowing of wheat has been carried out on 1.59 lh. This is lower than 2.06 lh achieved in the same period last year. About 5 per cent of the targetted area under wheat has been covered so far.

This rabi cropping season, Rajasthan is targetting a higher wheat acreage of 32 lh, up from previous year’s actual sown area of 31.06 lh.

Sowing of barley has been carried out on 61,118 hectares till November 6, marginally higher than same period last year’s 58,637 hectares. Rajasthan is targetting higher barley acreage of 3.81 lh this year over previous year’s sown area of 2.83 lh.

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