Wheat sowing up 9.28 pc on good weather

New Delhi, Jan 3 () Wheat sowing has risen 9.28 per cent to 312.8 lakh hectare so far in the ongoing rabi (winter) season from the year-ago period, thanks to the good weather.

Sowing of rabi crops begins in October and harvesting kicks off from March.

As per the agriculture ministry's latest data, wheat sowing in this rabi season has not only exceeded last year's level but also crossed the average normal area of 305.58 lakh hectare.

Wheat, the main rabi crop, was sown in 286.23 lakh hectare in the same period last season.

Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Haryana saw higher area of sowing, the data showed.

Better soil moisture helped farmers sow wheat in more area. The crop prospects are bright, a ministry official said.

Besides, pulses acreage rose slightly to 146.24 lakh hectare as on today, when compared with 142.22 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

Oilseeds acreage remained almost at last year's level. Oilseed crops like mustard seed and groundnut were sown in 75.72 lakh hectare as against 75.71 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

Coarse cereals area was higher at 49.40 lakh hectare as against 43.82 lakh hectare, while that of rice rose to 16.16 lakh hectare from 13.98 lakh hectare in the said period.

Area under all rabi crops increased to 600.32 lakh hectare so far this rabi season of the 2019-20 crop year (July-June), as against 561.95 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. LUX LUX ANU ANU