Sowing in the on-going rabi season maintained its pace of low growth in the new year with rice and coarse cereals posting a decline and oilseeds remaining stagnant compared with the average of the last five years.

Total sowing till January 6 increased 2.76 per cent to 602.75 lakh hectares (lh) compared with the previous five year’s average (normal of corresponding week) of 586.55 lh in the comparable period, according to figures released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.

Wheat area

Sowing of wheat increased to 303.16 lh in the current rabi season (which starts in October) as compared to 294.14 lh sowed in the normal of corresponding week. Higher sowing was reported by Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and UP.

Rice sowing in the period up to January 6 declined to 12.74 lh (17.28 lh). Chhattisgarh was the only State to report a jump in acreage, while all other rice growing States including Tamil Nadu reported a fall in sowing.

Coverage of pulses increased to 152.63 lh (139.01 lh). Maharashtra reported the sharpest increase in sowing followed by MP, Rajasthan and Jharkhand. Lower coverage was reported from Karnataka, Haryana, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.

Acreage under coarse cereals declined to 53.60 lh (55.81 lh). Higher acreage has been reported from MP, Gujarat, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, while Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana reported a dip in their acreage.

Oilseeds static

Sowing of oilseeds remained stagnant at 80.63 lh. The States where acreage reportedly increased include Arunachal Pradesh, MP, Assam and Telangana, while lower sowing was reported by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

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Published on January 6, 2017