More area covered under wheat, pulses farming

New Delhi, Feb 9 (UNI) The Agriculture Ministry today said wheat has been sown in 281.78 lakh hectares so far this fiscal as compared to 264.34 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year, representing an increase of over 17.4 lakh hectares.

Wheat covered 266.47 lakh hectare area in the entire rabi 2005-06 season and 260.5 lakh hectares on an average in the preceding five years.

Significantly higher coverage has been reported in Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The crop condition is normal.

Rabi rice has been sown in 28.27 lakh hectares this year as compared to 25.83 lakh hectares up to this time last year.

Sowing of rice is in progress in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Area under maize has increased from 9.95 lakh hectares to 11.13 lakh hectares and all coarse cereals from 67.32 lakh hectares during the corresponding period in 2005-06 to 69.21 lakh hectares this year.

Rabi pulses have so far covered 138.99 lakh hectares as compared to 133.54 lakh hectares by this time last year. This is 26.89 per cent above the season's normal area coverage under pulses and over 4 per cent above last year's area.

Area under rabi oilseeds (96.67 lakh hectares) is less this year as compared to the last year (108.22 lakh hectares), but it is higher than the five year average of area under rabi oilseeds (83.71 lakh hectares) by 15 per cent.

The less coverage this season as compared to last year 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, the ministry added.

UNI