Oilseeds have taken the lead in the early Rabi sowing till the first fortnight of October, while pulses and paddy are trailing last year's levels.

According to the preliminary data released by the Agriculture Ministry, total rabi crop planting has taken place in 4.31 lakh hectares till October 14, marginally up over the 4.21 lakh ha in the same period last year.

Oilseeds acreage has been reported at 2.81 lakh ha, mainly in UP. Mustard, the main rabi oilseed, has been sown in 2.81 lakh ha compared to 1.71 lakh ha in the same period last year.

Kharif crop harvest

The harvest of key kharif crops such as paddy and pulses, among others, have been delayed due to extended monsoons in several states.

Harvesting of kharif crops is currently going on in various states. According to the Agriculture Ministry data, paddy has been harvested in only about 5 per cent of the 411.46 lakh ha, while the overall pulses have been harvested in about 49 per cent of the planted area.

Coarse cereals have been harvested in about 36 per cent of the planted area, while oilseeds have been harvested in about 19 per cent of the planted area.

Targetted output

The Government has set a production target of 110 million tonnes for wheat and 10.66 million tonnes for the gram, and 10.2 million tonnes for mustard in the rabi cropping season.

Planting wheat is yet to begin, while coarse cereals such as jowar and maize have been planted in 0.38 lakh ha compared to 0.22 lakh ha in the same period last year. Jowar has been planted in 0.32 lakh ha as compared to 0.17 lakh ha. Coarse cereals acreage has been reported mainly from Maharashtra, Karnataka and UP.

Rice acreage is a tad lower at 0.87 lakh ha as compared to 0.99 lakh ha in the same period last year. A minor area of 0.87 lakh hectares has been covered mainly in Tamil Nadu.

Pulses sowing has been slower this year. Gram, the main seasonal pulse during rabi, has been planted in 0.06 lakh ha than 0.84 lakh ha. Overall, pulses acreage has been at 0.25 lakh ha as of Oct 14, compared to 1.18 lakh ha. Pulses planting has been mainly reported in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

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