Drought, lower prices pull down gram acreage in Maharashtra, Karnataka

Among other major crops, wheat has been sown on 5.16 million hectares, down 4.9% from last year; oilseeds have been sown on 4.68 million hectares, down 5.34%

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Agriculture, rabi crops have been sown in around 19.12 million hectares. This is 16 per cent less 

than the same period last year.

Of the 63.43 million hectares so far in which rabi crops are normally sown, planting is over in almost 30 per cent of the land. Gram, one of the 

biggest pulses grown during the rabi season, has been planted in around 5.02 million hectares, which is nearly 21.51 per cent less than the area covered during the same period last year.

Experts said a sharp fall in price of gram last year,