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Chennai , Nov. 27

CONGENIAL climatic conditions have accelerated sowing of rabi crop, particularly pulses, rapeseed and mustard, an Agriculture Ministry note has said.

"Sowing of rabi pulses is gaining momentum, while wheat sowing has commenced," it said.

So far, rabi pulses sowing has been completed in 51 lakh hectares (lh), up 14 lh during the same period last year.

Gram, the main rabi pulses crop, has been sown in 35 lh, an increase of 17 lh.

As regards oilseeds, 56 lh have been covered against 39 lh last year.

This year's coverage is also about 15 lh higher than in 2001.

Apart from mustard and rapeseed, other oilseed crops are sunflower, linseed, groundnut and safflower.

Rapeseed and mustard have been sown in 39 lh so far (26 lh).

Coverage under coarse cereals is also higher at 49 lh (46lh). Jowar is the main crop under rabi coarse cereals.

The note said so far, area under wheat was 30 lh, while sowing of rice had commenced in the southern parts of the country.

The Ministry also said there were no reports of locust activity, while no shortage of either chemical pesticide or bio-pesticide had been reported.

Dhimant Bhatt adds from Mumbai: The rabi crop in Gujarat is expected to break new records this year, according to sources in the Department of Agriculture.

Following a good kharif crop this season, the rabi crop is also approaching the highest level in many years, aided by a good monsoon and high ground water levels, thanks to the construction of a number of check dams covering all districts including Kutch and Saurashtra.

The kharif crop has been also scaled a new five-year high.

"The rabi crop is almost over. Sowing has been completed to the extent of 60 per cent (10,30,900 hectares as on November 24).

Total normal area under rabi crop is 17,11,800 hectares," an official said.

Major crops covered under the current rabi sowing are wheat, gram, garlic, jowar, maize and mustard.

Wheat is the major crop and sowing has so far covered 1,82,700 hectares compared to last season's figure of 74,700 hectares.

In the Saurashtra and Kutch regions, the area has touched 1,00,700 hectares against the previous season's figure of just 22,700 hectares.

Garlic sowing as on November 24 has been completed in 15,900 hectares against 9,300 hectares in the last season.

Gram sowing has been completed in 1,08,500 hectares (66,400 hectares).

Mustard sowing has been completed over 2,66,900 hectares (2,43,200 hectares), while maize sowing is over in 26,200 hectares (20,100 hectares).

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