Wheat sowing up 2.28% while oilseeds acreage falls 4.34% in ongoing winters

Wheat sowing area rose marginally by 2.28 per cent to 239.49 lakh hectares in the ongoing rabi (winter) season, while oilseeds acreage fell by 4.34 per cent to 86.52 lakh hectare, according to agriculture ministry data released on Monday.

Wheat, the primary winter crop, is typically planted from November and harvested between March and April.

Pulses acreage increased marginally to 120.65 lakh hectares as on December 6 of this rabi season from 115.70 lakh hectares in the previous year, with gram covering 86.09 lakh hectares and lentil 14.75 lakh hectares.

Coarse cereals sowing remained flat at 35.77 lakh hectares, with jowar occupying 19.38 lakh hectares and maize 10.07 lakh hectares.

However, oilseed sowing remained lower by 4.34 per cent at 86.52 lakh hectares, compared to 90.45 lakh hectares in the previous year.

Rapeseed-mustard seed coverage dropped to 81.07 lakh hectares from 84.70 lakh hectares, while groundnut seed area decreased to 2.31 lakh hectares from 2.51 lakh hectares.

Total coverage under all rabi crops rose 1.5 per cent to 493.62 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing rabi season of 2024-25.