Wheat gains momentum, oilseeds lag behind; over 77% of Rabi sowing completed
As of December 6, Rabi crops have been sown over 493.62 lakh hectares, which is 1.51 percent more than during the same period last year. The area under wheat has increased by 2.28 percent to 239.49 lakh hectares, while mustard sowing has dropped by 4.29 percent to 81.07 lakh hectares.
In the ongoing Rabi season of 2024-25, more than 77 percent of the normal Rabi sowing has been completed in the country. After a slow start, Rabi sowing has gained momentum. According to the Agriculture Ministry, as of December 6, Rabi crops have been sown over 493.62 lakh hectares, which is 1.51 percent more than during the same period last year. The area under wheat sowing has increased by 2.28 percent to 239.49 lakh hectares, while mustard sowing has dropped by 4.29 percent to 81.07 lakh hectares.
Due to higher wheat prices than the MSP, farmers are shifting toward wheat cultivation, while interest in oilseed crops has declined. The country's normal Rabi sowing area is 635.6 lakh hectares. As winter intensifies, the remaining sowing is expected to be completed within the next two to three weeks. Overall, the progress of Rabi sowing can be considered satisfactory.
Pulses Area Increased by 4.28 Percent
As of December 6, the area under pulses has increased by 4.28 percent to 120.65 lakh hectares. Among pulses, the maximum area has been sown with gram, covering 86.09 lakh hectares—7.14 percent more than last year. Lentil sowing has increased by 1.72 percent to 14.75 lakh hectares. However, the sowing of moong and urad has decreased by 50 percent and 14.66 percent, respectively.
Oilseed Crops Lagging by 4.34 Percent
Oilseed sowing remained lower by 4.34 percent at 86.52 lakh hectares, compared to 90.45 lakh hectares in the previous year. Rapeseed-mustard coverage dropped by 4.29 percent to 81.07 lakh hectares from 84.70 lakh hectares, while the groundnut area decreased by 7.97 percent to 2.31 lakh hectares. Sesamum sowing has reduced by nearly 45 percent to 6,000 hectares, and linseed sowing has declined by about 7 percent to 2.11 lakh hectares.
The reduction in the area under oilseed crops could hamper efforts toward self-sufficiency in edible oil production. Farmers are reportedly shifting to other crops due to falling prices of oilseeds like soybean and mustard. However, there is still time left for sowing, and the figures may improve in the coming days.
Marginal Increase in Coarse Grain Sowing
The area under coarse grain sowing has increased by 1.97 percent to 35.77 lakh hectares. The highest growth of 5.79 percent has been recorded in jowar, which now stands at 19.38 lakh hectares. Maize has been sown over 10.07 lakh hectares, slightly more than last year, while barley sowing has decreased by 7.98 percent. Bajra sowing is also down by approximately 9 percent.
The increasing coverage of Rabi crops amid climate challenges is a positive sign. However, the decline in oilseed cultivation remains a concern. The high temperatures at the beginning of the Rabi season may also affect crop yields. Much will depend on the weather conditions in the coming days.
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Progress of sowing area coverage under Rabi crops till 6 Dec. 2024 (Area in lakh hectares) |
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| S. No. | Crops | Normal Rabi Area (DES) | Area Sown | Difference (in lakh hc) | Difference (%) | |
| 2024-25 | 2023-24 | |||||
| 1 | Wheat | 312.35 | 239.49 | 234.15 | 5.34 | 2.28 |
| 2 | Rice | 42.02 | 11.19 | 10.93 | 0.26 | 2.38 |
| 3 | Pulses | 140.44 | 120.65 | 115.7 | 4.95 | 4.28 |
| a | Gram | 100.99 | 86.09 | 80.35 | 5.74 | 7.14 |
| b | Lentil | 15.13 | 14.75 | 14.5 | 0.25 | 1.72 |
| c | Fieldpea | 6.5 | 8.09 | 8.14 | -0.05 | -0.61 |
| d | Kulthi | 1.98 | 2.42 | 3.06 | -0.64 | -20.92 |
| e | Urdbean | 6.15 | 2.91 | 3.41 | -0.5 | -14.66 |
| f | Moongbean | 1.44 | 0.36 | 0.72 | -0.36 | -50.00 |
| g | Lathyrus | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.9 | -0.25 | -8.62 |
| h | Other Pulses | 5.46 | 3.36 | 2.62 | 0.74 | 28.24 |
| 4 | Shri Anna & Coarse cereals | 53.82 | 35.77 | 35.08 | 0.69 | 1.97 |
| a | Jowar | 24.37 | 19.38 | 18.32 | 1.06 | 5.79 |
| b | Bajra | 0.92 | 0.1 | 0.11 | -0.01 | -9.09 |
| c | Ragi | 0.68 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0 | 0.00 |
| d | Small Millets | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0 | 0.13 | |
| e | Maize | 22.11 | 10.07 | 10.05 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| f | Barley | 5.63 | 5.65 | 6.14 | -0.49 | -7.98 |
| 5 | Oilseeds | 86.97 | 86.52 | 90.45 | -3.93 | -4.34 |
| a | Rapeseed & Mustard | 79.16 | 81.07 | 84.7 | -3.63 | -4.29 |
| b | Groundnut | 3.82 | 2.31 | 2.51 | -0.2 | -7.97 |
| c | Safflower | 0.72 | 0.52 | 0.49 | 0.03 | 6.12 |
| d | Sunflower | 0.76 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 0.06 | 28.57 |
| e | Sesamum | 0.58 | 0.06 | 0.11 | -0.05 | -45.45 |
| f | Linseed | 1.93 | 2.11 | 2.27 | -0.16 | -7.05 |
| g | Other Oilseeds | 0 | 0.17 | 0.16 | 0.01 | 6.25 |
| Total Crops | 635.6 | 493.62 | 486.3 | 7.32 | 1.51 | |
