Sowing of Rabi crop continued to be lower than last year, with preliminary reports from the States placing the total area sown at 370.28 lakh hectares (lh), as on December 4, against 438.77 lh in the same period last year. Sowing/transplanting of wheat was done in only 152.56 lh compared with 208.64 lh in the same period last year.

Weather woes The shortfall in acreages was mainly on account of poor soil moisture levels due to a weak monsoon and delayed harvest of kharif crops such as rice and sugarcane in major producing States such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

While States like Rajasthan have seen an increase in wheat acreage, lower area has been reported from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana.

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Thursday that both rabi and kharif crops had been affected for the third straight season due to the adverse weather conditions such as drought and floods.

Pulses were sown on 100.42 lh (106.93 lh) last year. Gram or chana, the major rabi season pulses crop, has been sown on 69.25 lh, marginally higher than corresponding last year’s 68.92 lh. Acreages of other pulses such as lentil, fieldpea and urad have been lower than last year.

Coarse cereals have been sown marginally higher on 46.71 lh (43.04 lh) with jowar accounting for a significant chunk of it. Jowar has been planted on 34.09 lh compared to 27.78 lh in the corresponding period last year.

Sowing/transplantation of rice stood at 8.70 lh compared with 11.15 lh in the same period last year.

The area sown under oilseeds was lower at 61.89 lh against 69.01 lh last year. Acreages under rapeseed-mustard continued to be lower at 54.17 lh (60.91 lh). The slower pace of sowing has triggered concerns among the edible oil industry.

“Poor storage and moisture levels have impacted the plantings. Though sowing will go on for a couple of more, we expect the overall acreages to be lower than last year thereby impacting the output. It is too early to quantify the impact,” said BV Mehta, Executive Director, Solvent Extractors Association of India.

More imports feared Mehta said a lower output would trigger further increase in imports of edible oil. Staring at a higher import prospect, the SEA has urged the government to allow imports of oilseeds, which would not only benefit the extraction industry but also the feed makers.

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