Wheat acreage up 7.87%; rains boosting crop prospects

Besides wheat, acreage under pulses too are up by 11.55% to 159.28 lakh hectare this rabi season

Wheat sowing has neared the final stages and the acreage under the main rabi crop has gone up by 7.87 per cent to 315.55 lakh hectare with rains in some states boosting crop prospects.

Barring rice and coarse cereals, other crops were covered in wider area in the ongoing rabi season of 2016-17 crop year (July-June). Sowing of rabi (winter) crops begins from October and harvesting from April.

As per the data released by the Agriculture Ministry, wheat acreage has increased to 315.55 lakh hectare as on today of the current rabi season, from 292.52 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

"Wheat sowing is in the final leg of completion. Area so far is higher than the last year period. The current rains should boost crop growth not only of wheat but other rabi crops," Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Trilochan Mohapatra told PTI.

Besides wheat, acreage under pulses too has gone up by 11.55 per cent to 159.28 lakh hectare so far this rabi season, from 143.05 lakh hectare in the same period last year.

Oilseeds acreage has increased to 83.84 lakh hectare, from 78.58 lakh hectare in the said period.

However, area sown under paddy was lower at 21.77 lakh hectare so far this season as against 25.64 lakh hectare due to poor north east monsoon.

Area sown for coarse cereals was down at 56.90 lakh hectare as against 60.24 lakh hectare in the said period.

Total area under all rabi crops increased to 637.34 lakh hectare so far in 2016-17 rabi season from 600.02 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.