Area under wheat and pulses increased but area under oilseeds declined

22-Jan-2025 01:38 PM

The total area under Rabi crops in India has seen a slight increase this year, growing by 2.51 lakh hectares compared to last year, bringing the total area to 640 lakh hectares. Sowing for the extended Rabi season (Zayed) is expected to start next month, but there hasn't been a notable weekly increase in sowing activity.

• Wheat: The area under wheat, a major Rabi crop, increased by 1.39% from 315.63 lakh hectares last year to 320 lakh hectares this year, indicating that wheat sowing has been completed.
• Pulses: The area under pulses has risen by 2.40 lakh hectares, from 139.29 lakh hectares to 141.69 lakh hectares. This increase is mainly attributed to a rise in gram cultivation, which now covers 98.28 lakh hectares. However, sowing for peas, urad, moong, and horse gram has not changed significantly due to weak market prices.
• Coarse Grains: The area under coarse grains has slightly decreased, from 54.63 lakh hectares last year to 54.49 lakh hectares this year. The sowing areas for maize and sorghum remain substantial, but other grains like millet and ragi were cultivated in limited areas. Barley sowing remains stable.
• Oilseeds: The area under oilseeds has dropped from 101.80 lakh hectares to 97.62 lakh hectares, largely due to a decrease in mustard cultivation.

Despite these fluctuations, market prices for key agricultural products, including wheat, rice, gram, mustard, and sesame, are currently higher than the minimum support price (MSP), providing a favorable economic environment for farmers.