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Prevailing low temperature and rainfall in northern parts of the country are likely to help the standing Rabi crops. The weatherman has predicted scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttranchal. Scattered rainfall is likely over Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Isolated rainfall may occur over Bihar, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh.
The Crop Weather Watch Group which took stock of the weather situation, progress of sowing of crops, input availability and reservoir position has been informed that rabi sowing is nearly over in most parts of the country.
The sowing of wheat is complete in all the states except Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The total area under wheat so far is 260.86 lakh hectares (lha) as compared to 262.01 lha last year. There is some shortfall in the coverage of wheat in Punjab and Haryana which could be due to diversion of land to the gram, rapeseed and mustard and other crops.
Sowing of rabi rice has started except in Bihar where seed-bed preparation is in progress. Rabi rice is reported to be sown in 14.88 lha as compared to 14.91 lha last year.
Sowing of coarse cereals is complete in all the states. In spite of the fact that jowar and maize have been sown in less area in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka due to deficient rainfall, the total area under coarse cereals is reported to be higher at 70.92 lha as compared to 64.39 lha last year. Jowar, barley and maize cover 51.20 lha, 8.28 lha and 9.49 lha respectively this year.
Pulses cover 124.58 lha. The area under pulses is less that last year’s 127.23 lha but more than the normal area, 111.6 lha. Gram has been sown in 70.56 lha, lentil in 15.83 lha, pea in 8.8 lha, kulthi in 6.1 lha, urd in 6.1 lha, moong in 4.3 lha, and lathyrus in 4.5 lha.
Rabi oilseed have been sown in more area than the last 2 years’. This is because of more area under rapeseed and mustard (68.1 lha as compared to 59.24 last year) and safflower (3.79 lha compared to 3.58 lha last year). However less area is reported under groundnut (6.73 lha against 7.12 lha last year) and sunflower (12.45 lha versus last year’s 13.35 lha).
MKP/RC/SAK/2005-01-25-cwwg
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