An increase in the planting of gram and mustard has pushed up the total area under rabi crops to nearly 431 lakh hectare (lh) this week, which is nearly 4 per cent more than 414 lh planted in the corresponding week last year, as per data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.
At little over 81 lh, the area under gram is nearly 16 per cent more than that in the same period last year while mustard and rapeseed sown area is around 62 lh, which is nearly 8 per cent more compared to the corresponding week. The area of other pulses crops like lentil and fieldpea is up by 8 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. Much of the increase in pulses area was reported from Maharashtra and Gujarat.
For mustard, the increase was reported from Rajasthan and Jharkhand. Farmers, on the other hand, planted wheat over 204 lh as against 203 lh sown in same period in 2019-20.
While Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have planted an additional 7 lh and 1 lh, respectively, the area covered in Haryana and Rajasthan is down by 4.5 lh and 5 lh respectively. At around 56 lh, UP maintained status quo as compared same week last year. With area under maize and barley going down significantly, the total coarse cereals area has come down by over 7 per cent to 33 lh as compared to corresponding week last year. There is a slight decline in winter rice sown area in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.