Mustard sowing outpaces 2011 as winter advances

As winter gradually sets in over most of north and central India, the sowing of rabi oilseeds, particularly mustard, has surpassed last year’s.

According to the latest data, mustard had been sown on 5.71 million hectares till Thursday, marginally more than the 5.64 million hectares during the corresponding period last year.

Mustard seed is the biggest oilseed crop during the rabi season and its production is critical to determine the extent of edible oil import needed every year. In 2011-12, the country produced 6.7 million tonnes of mustard seed. The government has fixed a target of 8.19 million tonnes in 2012-13.

Mustard sowing in Rajasthan, the biggest producer, was 2.58 million hectares till Thursday, up 2.8 per cent from last year, the data showed.

Among other crops, the data showed wheat, the biggest foodgrain grown during rabi, was planted on 15.78 million hectares till Thursday, 2.9 per cent less than last year’s corresponding period. A week before, it was 4.6 per cent less than in the same period of 2011.

“Wheat and mustard sowing have gathered momentum as the winters have progressed in north and central India. It will further pick up in the coming weeks,” a senior official said.

The data showed sowing of wheat had been sluggish in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Of the three, MP has emerged a premier wheat growing state in recent years. The government has fixed a target of producing 86 million tonnes in 2012-13. In 2011-12, the production of wheat was a record 93.9 million tonnes.

Sowing of pulses continues to lag, despite late withdrawal of the southwest monsoon. The rabi season accounts for almost 60 per cent of pulses. This had been planted on 10.24 million hectares till Thursday, 6.45 per cent less than the same period in 2011-2. The planting was particularly bad in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, where the crop had been planted on 1.34 and 1.13 million hectares, respectively, till Thursday, 26.5 per cent and 18.3 per cent less than in the same period last year.