Wheat has been sown in 54,000 hectare so far in the ongoing rabi (winter) season of the 2022-23 crop year, 59 per cent higher than 34,000 hectare in the year-ago period, according to the agriculture ministry data released on Friday.
The sowing of wheat, the main rabi crop, begins in October and harvesting in March-April. Besides, gram and mustard are other major crops grown during the rabi season (July-June).
According to the latest sowing data, wheat sowing is underway in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir.
About 39,000 hectare was covered under wheat in Uttar Pradesh, 9,000 hectare in Uttarakhand, 2,000 hectare in Rajasthan and 1,000 hectare in Jammu & Kashmir as on October 28, the data showed.
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Area sown to pulses remained higher at 8.82 lakh hectare so far this rabi season against 5.91 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Among pulses, the gram was planted in 6.96 lakh hectare against 5.91 lakh hectare a year ago.
In the case of oilseeds, about 19.69 lakh hectare was sown to six types of oilseeds, higher than 15.13 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Much of the area was sown to rapeseed and mustard at 18.99 lakh hectare compared to 14.21 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.
Coarse cereals were sown in 4.68 lakh hectare against 2.31 lakh hectare, while rice in 4.02 lakh hectare against 3.54 lakh hectare a year ago, the data showed.
The total coverage under all the rabi crops remained higher at 37.75 lakh hectare as of October 28 this rabi season, higher than 27.24 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.
Sowing is expected to pick up in the coming weeks once the land gets clear after harvesting the Kharif crops.