Gram, jowar gain acreage in early rabi plantings

Sowing for the ongoing rabi season has begun in several States and crops such as gram and jowar have gained acreages in the early plantings, while that of main crops such as wheat and rapeseed-mustard are yet to pick up.

Acreage, so far, stood at 84 lakh hectares (lh), marginally lower than corresponding last year’s 87.27 lh, according to the preliminary reports from the Ministry of Agriculture.

With prevailing high prices of pulses, farmers are seen showing their preference to plant gram or chana in the current season.

Acreage under chana stood at 22 lh as on November 6 – about 30 per cent more than last year’s 16.82 lh.

States reporting higher acreage include Karnataka (8.49 lh), Maharashtra (5.16 lh), Andhra Pradesh (1.96 lh), Odisha (0.54 lh).

Traditional pulse-growing States such as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have reported lower acreage. Total acreage under rabi pulses is marginally lower at 28.65 lh (29.73 lh) on account of lower area under masur (lentil) and field pea.

Planting of wheat, the key cereal for the rabi season, is yet to begin on a full scale. States such as Karnataka and Maharashtra have reported higher area where farmers – who lost out on kharif crops in certain parts due to poor monsoon rainfall – have taken up early planting of the rabi crops. The recent spell of rains is seen aiding the sowing trend.

In fact in Maharashtra, farmers have planted more of jowar during the ongoing rabi season boosting the total acreage under corase cereals.

Total jowar acreage, so far, stood at 28.90 lh (18.72 lh). In Maharashtra, jowar acreage stood at 19.60 lh against the previous year’s 11.63 lh. Similarly, in Karnataka, the jowar acreage was 8.02 lh (6.22 lh).

The acreage under rapeseed-mustard, the main rabi oilseed crop, is lower than last year. Mustard acreage, so far, stands at 15.13 lh against 28.45 lh in the corresponding period last year. This is mainly on account of lower acreages in States such as Rajasthan (5.29 lh), Haryana (2.87 lh) and Madhya Pradesh (1.57 lh).

Other rabi oilseed crops such as groundnut, safflower and sunflower have seen incremental acreage gains over corresponding last year. Total rabi oilseed acreage for the current season, so far, is lower at 19.91 lh (31.76 lh).

The government on Thursday announced a modest increase in minimum support prices for the rabi crops, while announcing an additional bonus for gram and masur.

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