Sowing of key rabi crops (winter crops), such as wheat, mustard and gram, has begun in major producing States. According to the Agriculture Ministry, sowing has taken place so far on about 81.55 lakh ha, which is about 8.3 per cent lower than the corresponding period last year.
Rabi planting generally starts in early October and goes on till late January. The decline in acreage so far is largely because of a drop in the area under pulses and coarse cereals. However, sowing is expected to accelerate as the season advances.
The acreage under wheat — the main rabi cereal — as on November 4 stood at 4.28 lakh hectares, higher than the 2.76 lakh hectares sown during the same period last year.
Planting of rice stood at 9.51 lakh ha (6.25 lakh ha). The acreage under oilseeds was highest at 29.79 lakh ha (19.91 lakh ha).
Mustard is the main oilseed crop grown during the rabi season, while chana or gram is the main pulses crop. Sowing of pulses was down at 24.16 lakh ha (30.07 lakh ha). Coarse cereal acreage declined to 13.84 lakh ha (29.92 lakh ha). A near normal South-West monsoon this year after two consecutive droughts has led to improved soil moisture levels and comfortable water storage levels across major parts of the country, which should aid the rabi planting.
Further, rainfall in the post-monsoon period was normal to excess, mainly in the central and western parts of the country, whereas parts of North and South India had scanty rains.
However, the country has witnessed a 34 per cent deficit in post-monsoon rainfall (October 1 to November 4 period), with 26 meteorological sub-divisions receiving deficient to scanty rains, while 10 sub-divisions received normal to excess rains.
The Centre has set a production target of 96.5 million tonnes for wheat, 13.5 million tonnes for pulses and 11.5 million tonnes for oilseeds.