Rabi acreage up 6% on higher wheat, mustard plantings

Rabi acreage is up by nearly six per cent as on Friday compared with the corresponding period a year ago, as farmers have planted more area under winter crops such as wheat, rice, gram (chana) and rapeseed/mustard.
Wheat, the main rabi crop, has been planted on 273.97 lakh hectares (lh) against 253.20 lh during the same time last year.
States which have reported an increase in acreage include Madhya Pradesh (11.11 lh), Uttar Pradesh (5.24 lh), Rajasthan (3.03 lh), Gujarat (3.63 lh) and Bihar (0.97 lh).
The current sowing trend in wheat has raised expectations of its total acreage exceeding last year’s level of 298.3 lakh ha as plantings are likely to continue till mid-January. High soil moisture coupled with comfortable storage level in reservoirs across the country is seen aiding winter crop plantings.