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The total sown area under the current rabi crops came down significantly by almost 30 lakh hectares (lh) to 604 lh with the area under wheat and rice shrinking by almost 10 lh each as compared to what was estimated about two weeks ago. According to the 4th advanced estimates of 2017-18, the total rabi area last year was 628.25 lh.
As per the second advance estimates of sowing area released by Agriculture Ministry on Thursday that total cropped area in the current rabi season is 604.29 lh as against 636 lh estimated on February 22. While the acreage under wheat was revised from 300 lh to 291 lh, that of rice came down from 49.42 to 39.57 lh. Wheat and winter rice cultivated areas in 2017-18 295.78 lh and 44.36 lh respectively. The winter rice cultivation is down by nearly 10.8 per cent as compared to last year, while wheat acreage is down by 1.7 per cent.
The drought conditions prevailing in Maharashtra and Karnataka seem to have had adversely affected coarse cereals and pulses cultivation. While the coarse cereals cultivation is down by 14.5 per cent, that of pulses is lower by 5.2 per cent as compared to the corresponding period last year.
The area under jowar cultivation is 24.54 lh, which is 20 per cent lower than 30.65 lh planted in 2017-18. Maize, on the other hand, is planted on an area of 15.87 lh, which is 14.2 per cent less than 18.49 lh covered in last year as per the 4th advance estimates of 2017-18. Barley cultivation, however, has picked up momentum with acreage touching 7.25 lh, about 9.5 per cent more than 6.6 lh covered in same period last year.
Substantial reduction in gram cultivation in Maharashtra will seriously dent the production this year. As against 105.61 lh sown in 2017-18, the gram acreage in this rabi season is 96.75 lh. Urad and moong planting too are down by 3 per cent each to 9.14 lh and 9.42 lh respectively. Lentil cultivation too is down by 3.8 per cent to 14.95 lh as compared to 15.54 lh in 2017-18.
Oilseeds is probably the only crop which has reported a higher acreage as compared to last rabi season. The increase is mainly due to a 4.7 per cent uptick in mustard cultivation. Mustard/rapeseed cultivation in Rajasthan has helped mustard to cross 62 lh. The total area under oilseeds over 75 lh, which is 3 per cent more than the area sown in the last rabi season season.
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