Wheat sowing up 7%, pulse acreage grows 11% so far in Rabi

Sowing area under wheat has risen 7 per cent to 313.14 lakh hectares while that of pulses is up 11 per cent to 157.68 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing rabi (winter-sown) season on good monsoon and higher support price.
However, the acreage of paddy and coarse cereals is lower than last year's.
"As per preliminary reports received from the states, the total area sown under Rabi crops as on 20th January 2017 stands at 628.34 lakh hectares as compared to 592.36 lakh hectare this time in 2016," an official statement said.
Wheat has been sown in 313.14 Lakh hectares so far this rabi season as against 291.97 lakh hectares in the same period last year.

Pulse acreage has grown to 157.68 lakh hectares from 142.01 lakh hectares.
Oilseed sowing area has risen to 81.91 lakh hectares from 76.46 lakh hectares.
However, paddy acreage has fallen to 19.36 lakh hectares so far this rabi season, from 22.45 lakh hectares in the same period last year. Coarse cereals sowing area, too, dropped to 56.25 lakh hectares from 59.47 lakh hectares.