Area under wheat up 4.28% YoY to 20.25 hectares: Agriculture ministry

Wheat sowing has picked up in the ongoing rabi season as the crop was planted in 4.28 per cent more area at 20.25 million hectare (ha) compared to the year-ago period, said a latest data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.

Wheat is the main rabi crop, the sowing of which begins from October and harvesting from April onwards. Wheat was sown in 1.9421 million hectare a year ago.

As per the ministry's latest data, wheat was sown in 834,000 hectare more area so far in the ongoing rabi (winter) season of the 2019-20 crop year (July-June).

Higher coverage was reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.

Similarly, rice was sown in more area at 1.017 mllion hectare so far this season compared to 842,000 hectare in the year-ago period, while coarse cereals was planted in 3.556 million hectare as against 3.275 million hectare.

However, area sown to pulses remained slightly lagging at 10.51 million hectare so far this rabi season as against 11.19 million hectare in the same season last year, the data showed.

Even area sown to oilseeds remained flat at 6.50 million hectare as against 6.61 million hectare.

Total area sown to all rabi crops remained higher at 41.84 million hectare so far this rabi season as against 41.33 million hectare in the year-ago period, the data showed.