Wheat sowing up 0.37% to 34.1 mn hectare so far; crop condition good: Data

Area sown to wheat has increased marginally by 0.37 per cent to 341.85 lakh hectare (ha) so far in the ongoing rabi season, with higher areas reported in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Bihar, the government data showed.

According to a senior agriculture ministry official, about 5-6 lakh ha more wheat area is expected to be reported from north India, especially Uttar Pradesh, where the sowing of wheat has got delayed due to sugarcane harvesting.

"The wheat crop condition is good as of now. Tiller per plan is average at 6-10 due to better weather situations. One spell of rain in a day or two will further boost the plant growth," the official told PTI.

Sowing of wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, begins in October, while harvesting starts in March/April.

As per the latest agriculture ministry's data, wheat has been sown in 341.85 lakh ha as of January 27 against 340.56 lakh ha in the year-ago period.

The higher area is reported from Rajasthan (2.52 lakh ha), Maharashtra (1.28 lakh ha), Bihar (1.28 lakh ha), Chhattisgarh (0.52 lakh ha), Gujarat (0.44 lakh ha), Uttar Pradesh (0.22 lakh ha), Jammu & Kashmir (0.08 lakh ha) and Assam (0.03 lakh ha), the data showed.

In the case of paddy, the acreage has increased to 33.49 lakh ha so far in this rabi season from 23.64 lakh ha in the year-ago period. This will make up for the loss estimated in rice output in the kharif season.

Area sown to pulses has increased marginally to 165.35 lakh ha so far this rabi season against 164.51 lakh ha in the year-ago period. Out of which, gram acreage remains slightly lower at 111.35 lakh ha compared to 112.89 lakh ha in the said period.

Area sown to nutri-cum-coarse cereals rose to 51.90 lakh ha from 49.57 lakh ha.

In the case of oilseeds, the total area rose to 108.34 lakh hectare so far in the rabi season against 100.50 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Out of which, rapeseed and mustard seed cultivation was done in the higher area at 108.34 lakh ha.

The total area sown to all rabi crops rose to 700.92 lakh ha so far in the ongoing rabi season from 678.78 lakh ha a year ago, the data showed.