Wheat acreage up 8 pc, pulses area rises 13 pc

Wheat acreage has risen by 8 per cent to 292.39 lakh hectares, while sowing area of pulses is up 13 per cent at 148.11 lakh hectares so far in the current Rabi (winter-sown) season, helped by good monsoon and higher support price.
However, the area under coverage under paddy and coarse cereals is lower than last year.
"As per preliminary reports received from the states, the total area sown under Rabi crops as on 30 th December, 2016 stands at 582.87 lakh hectares as compared to 545.46 lakh hectare this time in 2015," an official statement said.
Wheat has been sown in 292.39 lakh hectares so far this rabi season compared to 271.46 lakh hectares in the same period last year. Pulses acreage has grown to 148.11 lakh hectares from 131.12 lakh hectares.

Oilseeds sowing area has risen to 79.48 lakh hectares from 71.83 lakh hectares.
Paddy acreage has fallen, however, to 10.68 lakh hectares so far this rabi season from 14.77 lakh hectares in the same period last year. Coarse cereals sowing area, too, dropped to 52.21 lakh hectares from 56.29 lakh hectares.