Wheat acreage up 3.18pc at 312.26 lakh ha so far; crop prospects bright

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) Area sown to wheat has increased by 3.18 per cent to 312.26 lakh hectares (ha) so far in the ongoing rabi (winter) season with higher acreage reported from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, according to the agriculture ministry’s data released on Friday.

Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja on Thursday had said the crop prospects were bright as the current weather conditions are conducive for plant growth and better yields.

Sowing of wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, begins in October while harvesting in April. Mustard seed and gram are other major crops sown in the rabi season of the 2022-23 crop year (July-June).

As per the ministry’s data, wheat has been sown in 312.26 lakh ha as of December 23 of the ongoing rabi season, as against 302.61 lakh ha in the year-ago period.

“Thus 9.65 lakh hectare more area has been covered compared to last year,” the ministry said.

Higher area is reported from Rajasthan (1.99 lakh ha), followed by Gujarat (1.74 lakh ha), Uttar Pradesh (1.57 lakh ha), Bihar (1.51 lakh ha), Maharashtra (1.43 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (0.83 lakh ha), Chhattisgarh (0.64 lakh ha), West Bengal (0.24 lakh ha), Jammu & Kashmir (0.23 lakh ha), Karnataka (0.15 lakh ha) and Assam (0.01 lakh ha).

Rice, which is grown on a small scale in the rabi season, has also been sown in higher area of 14.42 lakh ha so far, as against 12.60 lakh ha in the year-ago period.

In case of pulses, the total acreage under rabi pulses has increased marginally to 148.54 lakh ha so far from 144.64 lakh ha in the year-ago period.

Among pulses, gram acreage has increased slightly to 103.37 lakh ha as against 102.65 lakh ha during the comparable period, the data showed.

Oilseeds are sown in higher area of 101.47 lakh ha so far this rabi season as against 93.28 lakh ha in the year-ago period.

Among oilseeds, mustard seed has been sown in 92.67 lakh ha as against 85.35 lakh ha during the comparable period, the data showed.

Total area covered under all rabi crops has also increased to 620.62 lakh ha so far this rabi season as against 594.62 lakh ha in the year-ago period.