The Hindu Business Line : Area under wheat declines marginally

New Delhi, Dec. 19 Progressive area sown under wheat during the current rabi season has declined marginally to 229.58 lakh hectares (lh), as against 229.79 lh covered during the same period of 2008.

According to the Agriculture Ministry’s latest Crop Weather Watch Report, released here on Friday, acreages have gone up in Punjab (from 34.30 lh to 34.46 lh), Haryana (24.45 to 24.65), Rajasthan (19.09 to 19.82) and Bihar (10.57 to 12.52), while trailing behind in Uttar Pradesh (76.16 to 74.63), Madhya Pradesh (32.24 to 32.16), Gujarat (11.95 to 10.12) and Maharashtra (8.93 to 7.70).

Farmers have so far planted more area relative to last year’s corresponding levels in most other rabi crops, be it oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, sunflower and sesamum), pulses (gram, lentil, peas, lathyrus) and cereals (jowar, maize, barley).

OILSEEED SOWING UP

In rapeseed-mustard, the main rabi oilseed crop, farmers have till now brought 63.98 lh under the crop, compared to the 57.15 lh covered in the corresponding period of 2007-08.

Area has gone up in Rajasthan (23.66 lh to 27.62 lh), Uttar Pradesh (7.78 to 8.53), Madhya Pradesh (6.70 to 7.82), Haryana (4.99 to 6.25) and West Bengal (4.25 to 4.35), while dipping marginally in Gujarat (3.28 to 2.92).

Likewise, progressive sowing of gram has increased from 68.855 lh to 75.095 lh this year, led by Madhya Pradesh (from 23.05 lh to 27.02 lh), Uttar Pradesh (5.99 to 8.55) and Karnataka (6.97 to 8.41). However, lower acreages have been reported from Rajasthan (12.702 to 11.663), Maharashtra (10.32 to 8.84) and Andhra Pradesh (6.25 to 6.15).

Related Stories:
Acreages under most rabi crops gain
Rabi acreage up in all crops barring wheat

More Stories on : Agriculture | Cultivation | Wheat

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