Encouraging start of ravi sowing: increase in cultivation of wheat, mustard and gram

MUMBAI: Favorable conditions have resulted in an encouraging start to sowing of the current year's ravi crop. From the information received, it is seen that the farmers are enthusiastic about planting wheat, mustard and gram due to high prices of pulses and grains and favorable weather.

According to Agriculture Ministry figures, wheat has been sown on 3.80 lakh hectares till October 27, which is 80 percent more than the same period last year. Wheat is the main ravi crop.

The maximum cultivation of wheat is currently observed in Madhya Pradesh. Wheat cultivation starts earlier in Madhya Pradesh than most states in the country.

Due to the current high price of wheat and increase in the minimum support price, farmers are also ready to harvest more wheat this year. Keeping in view the Lok Sabha elections next year, the government has significantly increased the support prices so that the farmers are positive about harvesting more crops. Food inflation may come down in the event of a bumper crop.

In addition to wheat, the cultivation of pulses has also increased by 11.33 hectares compared to last year. Among the pulses, gram is the main ravi crop. Sowing of mustard in oilseeds has been completed on 28.40 lakh hectares which is 15.45 percent more than till October 27 of last year. In the Kharif season of the current year, the country's rice production is expected to be 10.63 crore tonnes, being 3.79 percent lower than last year.

Sources in the Ministry of Agriculture said that poor rainfall in major rice-producing states is affecting rice production in the 2023-24 (July to June) crop year. Last season rice production was 11.05 crore tonnes.

The overall production of oilseeds is expected to fall to 2.15 crore tonnes. Sugarcane production, which was 49.05 crore tonnes in the previous season, is estimated to decline significantly to 43.47 crore tonnes in the current season, while cotton production is expected to fall to 3.16 crore bales from 3.66 crore bales.

The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that the overall production of Kharif food grains will fall to 14.85 crore tonnes from last year's 15.57 crore tonnes.