The Hindu Business Line : Acreage under wheat, mustard down

Disturbing trend
Area under wheat 34.75 lakh hectares (lh) compared with the corresponding year’s coverage of 52.71 lh.
Progressive area under rapeseed-mustard 35.10 lh compared with last year’s coverage of 52.76 lh.

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Nov. 16 Wheat acreage is down 34.1 per cent this year. According to the Union Agriculture Ministry’s Crop Weather Watch Report, released here on Friday, farmers have so far sown 34.75 lakh hectares (lh) under the crop, compared to the corresponding coverage of 52.71 lh during the time last year.

Cumulative area planted is lower in Punjab (10 lh versus 16.65 lh), Haryana (12 versus 15), Madhya Pradesh (8.41 versus 10.33), Uttar Pradesh (0.81 versus 4.41), Maharashtra (1.75 versus 3.22), Karnataka (1.21 versus 1.77) and Rajasthan (0.21 versus 0.85).

These are, however, early trends and the coming few weeks could well see a substantial covering-up taking place.

Sowing potential

“The current temperatures are optimal for sowing and also there is due-induced moisture in the soil, making it conducive for germination. Moreover, the Government has announced a remunerative support price, which will further encourage the farmers to plant more area to come under wheat this time,” said Dr B. Mishra, who heads the Karnal-based Directorate of Wheat Research.

But this optimism may not hold for rabi oilseeds, particularly rapeseed-mustard. Progressive area under rapeseed-mustard has been just 35.10 lh, compared with last year’s coverage of 52.76 lh at this point of time, with declines reported in all major States: Rajasthan (16.27 lh against 26.75 lh), Uttar Pradesh (5.74 against 6.83), Madhya Pradesh (3.70 against 5.90), Haryana (5.40 against 5.90) and Gujarat (1.96 against 3.22).

Poor rains and depleted soil moisture conditions in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are said to be the main reason for lower coverage this year.

Rabi oilseeds

The total area sown so far under all rabi oilseeds has fallen to 47.24 lh, from last year’s corresponding level of 68.18 lh. Acreages have been lower for groundnut (from 2.27 lh to 1.71 lh), sunflower (6.95 to 5.78), safflower (2.77 to 2.36), linseed (2.71 to 1.74) and sesamum (0.28 to 0.20).

Rabi pulses area, too, has registered a decline from 69.85 lh to 67.50 lh, including from 47.25 lh to 42.76 lh for gram (chana), 7.95 lh to 5.87 lh for lentil (masur), 4.31 lh to 3.53 lh for peas (matar), and 3.66 lh to 3.54 lh for kulthi (horsegram).

At the same time, more area has come under urad (from 1.51 lh to 3.18 lh), moong (from 0.38 lh to 1.13 lh) and lathyrus (from 3.22 lh to 4.10 lh).

More Stories on : Wheat | Cultivation | Foodgrains | Oilseeds & Edible Oil

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