Like Kharif, Rabi pulses trigger concern as sown area falls by 11 lakh hect

Efforts to make the country self-reliant in pulses production seem to have gone awry. Like Kharif season, there has been increased concern about the production of pulse crops in Rabi season too as its area has decreased by about 11 lakh hectares. The sowing of gram, the main pulse crop of Rabi, has decreased by about 9 lakh hectares. Similarly, the area under sowing of wheat, the main crop of Rabi season, has decreased by more than 4 lakh hectares.

Apart from this, sowing of other Rabi crops paddy, groundnut and sunflower has also decreased. However, the area under sowing of mustard, lentils, maize and barley has increased.

According to the data of the Union Agriculture Ministry till December 29, the area under wheat sowing was 320.54 lakh hectares, which was 324.58 lakh hectares in the same period last year. Due to late harvesting of paddy in many areas of the country, sowing of wheat has lagged behind.

Wheat sowing is still in the final stages and sowing of late varieties will continue for another week-ten days. Similarly, sowing of Rabi paddy has declined to 14.36 lakh hectares as compared to 16.57 lakh hectares in the same period last year.

According to the data, the total sowing area of pulse crops has decreased from 153.22 lakh hectares to 142.49 lakh hectares. The total area has decreased by 10.72 lakh hectares. The area under Rabi pulses crop gram has decreased by 8.75 lakh hectares to 97.05 lakh hectares and the area under sowing of urad and horseradish has decreased to 4.78 lakh hectares and 3.55 lakh hectares respectively. Last year till December 29, gram was sown in 105.80 lakh hectares and urad and horse gram were sown in 5.77 lakh and 3.81 lakh hectares respectively. The area under Rabi moong sowing has decreased from 2.93 lakh hectares to 1.81 lakh hectares.

However, by this time the sowing of lentils has increased by 66,000 hectares to 18.68 lakh hectares. Till this time last year, it was sown in 18.02 lakh hectares. Sowing of peas was 9.43 lakh hectares as against 9.22 lakh hectares. The area under sowing of other pulses has decreased from 4.30 lakh hectares to 3.77 lakh hectares.

As far as oilseed crops are concerned, the total area under sowing of Rabi oilseed crop mustard has increased by 1.65 lakh hectares as compared to 95.63 lakh hectares. Till December 29, mustard has been sown in 97.29 lakh hectares. Except mustard, sowing of all other oilseed crops has decreased. The area of groundnut has decreased by 1.02 lakh hectares to 3.32 lakh hectares and that of sunflower has decreased from 71,000 hectares to 34,000 hectares.

The area of linseed has come down to 2.85 lakh hectares as against 2.98 lakh hectares and that of sesame has come down from 33,000 hectares to 25,000 hectares.

Among coarse grains, the area under jowar, bajra, maize and ragi cultivation has remained almost at the same level as last year. The area under barley has increased from 7.32 lakh hectares to 8.01 lakh hectares.