Wheat sown area crosses 275 lakh hectare mark

New Delhi, Jan 5 (UNI) As per the latest figures available with the Union Agriculture Ministry, wheat has already been sown in 275.529 lakh ha so far as compared to 257.876 lakh ha in the corresponding time last year.

Wheat covered 266.47 lakh ha area in the entire rabi 2005-06 season.

Among other major foodgrain crops, the area under rabi rice has gone up from 9.43 lakh ha last year to 10.19 lakh ha; maize from 7.076 lakh ha to 10.167 lakh ha and all coarse cereals from 63.11 lakh ha during the corresponding period in 2005-06 to 67.174 lakh ha this year.

Jowar, however, has been grown in slightly less area (47.684 lakh ha) as compared to this time last year (47.909 lakh ha).

Till yesterday, the area coverage under pulses has exceeded that of last year by about three lakh ha. So far, Rabi pulses have been sown in 129.764 lakh ha as compared to 126.902 lakh ha at this time last year.

Area under rabi oilseeds (92.95 lakh ha), however, is less so far, as compared to last year (101.86 lakh ha) but it is higher than the five year average of area under rabi oilseeds (83.71 lakh ha).

The less coverage this season is attributed to diversion of area of rapeseed and mustard to Bengal gram in Madhya Pradesh and to wheat in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, according to an Agriculture Ministry release here today.

UNI