The area sown under rabi foodgrains this year is so far higher than that of the previous by 31.32 lakh hectares, with the area under wheat and pulses higher, but coarse cereals lower. The area under foodgrains is 507.47 lakh hectares as against the 476.15 lakh hectares sown in the corresponding period last year.
Sowing of rabi wheat on 275.85 lakh hectares has crossed last year's level of 265.81 lakh hectares, in tune with the data from States which raised expectations of a bumper wheat crop this year. Encouraged by the increase in acreage and better moisture in the soil thanks to the good monsoon this year, the government hopes wheat output would be around 82 million tonnes in the current rabi season.
The area under pulses is also higher at 139.03 lakh hectares as against the 129.92 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year. Even the area under oilseeds is higher by 2.66 lakh hectares. The area sown under oilseeds so far is 86.45 lakh hectares as against the 83.79 lakh hectares sown last year. However, there is a shortfall in the sowing of rabi rice and coarse cereals. The area under rice is 3.64 lakh hectares as against the 5.77 lakh hectares last year.
