The area under rabi cultivation continued to lag, albeit marginally, during the week ending Friday as compared to the same period last year, according to the data released by the Agriculture Ministry.
Farmers have so far covered an 642.88 lakh hectares (lh) as against 648.19 lh covered in the corresponding period last year.
The maximum decline in cropping area was reported in wheat whose acreage was 304.29 lh, 13.59 lh lower than last year, the Ministry said. The overall shortfall, however, was made up by an increase in area under pulses and rice cultivation.
While the area under pulses was up by 5.29 per cent to 169.10 lh during the corresponding week in the previous year, acreage under rice went up by 4.57 lh to 31.89 lh.
The total area covered oilseeds so far was at 80.87 lh (84.85 lh). Coarse cereal cultivation too was on the lower side with area going down to 56.73 lh as against 57.24 lh.