Increase in rabi sowing area even amidst farmers movement

Mumbai, Ta. 26 December 2020, Saturday

At the end of the third week of December, the country's rabi acreage stood at 7.5 lakh hectares, up 2.50 per cent from the same period last year. As on December 8, 2016, the area under rabi cultivation was 2.4 lakh hectares.

Despite the ongoing agitation by farmers in Punjab for the last one month, rabi sowing has increased. Due to high cultivation of wheat, chickpea and rye, rabi sowing area is increasing.

Compared to last year's rabi season, the area under wheat was 18 lakh hectares, which was 211 lakh hectares. According to the Agriculture Ministry, more wheat has been harvested in states including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The area under chickpea has gone up by 9% to 104 lakh hectares. Due to chickpeas, the total area under pulses has increased by 4.50%. The area under other rabi crops has increased by 3% to 16,000 hectares. Maize cultivation is seen to be seven per cent lower.

In oilseeds, the cultivation of rye and mustard rose by 2.50 per cent to 21.5 lakh hectares, according to the Agriculture Ministry. Apart from the good monsoon kharif in the current year, the planting of rabi crop in the country is also looking satisfactory.

Due to good rains, farmers are enthusiastic about sowing. The government's announcement of higher support prices has also motivated farmers to take more crops.