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India witnesses a 1% rise in wheat sowing across key states, with 239.79 lakh hectares under cultivation, while the nation's rabi crops paint a diverse picture, featuring a decline in pulses acreage and an impressive mustard surge. Paddy and coarse cereals, however, experience fluctuations in acreage, adding nuance to the agricultural canvas.

Highlights

Wheat Sowing in Top 4 States: The area under wheat during the ongoing rabi season in the top four producing states (Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana) has increased by 1% compared to the year-ago period, reaching 239.79 lakh hectares.

Pan-India Wheat Acreage: The pan-India wheat acreage has narrowed the deficit to about 4 lakh hectares, reaching 320.54 lakh hectares compared to the year-ago period of 324.58 lakh hectares. This is a decrease of 2% until December 22.

Rabi Crops Acreage: The area sown under all rabi crops until December 29 is 629.65 lakh hectares, which is over 97% of the normal area of 648.33 lakh hectares. However, it is still down by 3% from the previous year's 646.16 lakh hectares, with a potential deficit of 1-2% mainly due to a decline in pulses acreage.

Rabi Pulses Acreage: Rabi pulses acreage has reached 142.49 lakh hectares, down by 7% from the year-ago period. Lentil (masur) acreage has slightly increased to 18.68 lakh hectares from 18.02 lakh hectares.

Gram (Chana) Acreage Decline: Gram (chana) acreage is consistently lower, down by 8% at 97.05 lakh hectares from 105.8 lakh hectares. About 96% of the normal area of 100.92 lakh hectares under gram has been covered.

Mustard Acreage: Mustard acreage has increased to 97.29 lakh hectares as of December 29, up 2% from 95.63 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year.

Rabi Oilseeds Acreage: All rabi oilseeds acreage is reported at 104.96 lakh hectares, slightly higher than the previous year's 105.15 lakh hectares. Groundnut area is down by 1.02 lakh hectares at 3.32 lakh hectares.

Paddy Acreage Decline: Paddy acreage has decreased to 14.36 lakh hectares compared to 16.57 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. Tamil Nadu reports the maximum paddy area at 10.45 lakh hectares.

Coarse Cereals Acreage: In coarse cereals, the sowing area has reached 47.29 lakh hectares, up by 1% from 46.64 lakh hectares. Jowar acreage is slightly lower, while maize acreage is slightly higher compared to the previous year. Barley sowing is up by 9% at 8.01 lakh hectares compared to 7.32 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Conclusion

As India's rabi season unfolds, the upbeat surge in wheat cultivation, coupled with varied trends in pulses, mustard, and other crops, underscores the dynamic nature of the agricultural landscape. While challenges persist, the resilient spirit of Indian farming promises an intriguing harvest, shaping the nation's food security and economic vitality in the coming months.