NEW DELHI (Commodity Online): Shortfall is seen in pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals acreage in the Rabi season (beginning October) due to lower crop sowing reported in Karnataka and Maharashtra, according to Harish Rawat, Minister of State for Agriculture.
The Minister informed Parliament that the shortfall in area under rabi oilseeds has been mainly due to lower acreage under rapeseed and mustard in Rajasthan.
The sowing area under rabi coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds, however, has been lower by 280,000 hectare, 110,000 hectare and 600,000 hectare, respectively, in the same period, he pointed out.
The minister said that area under rapeseed and mustard was more than normal in the 2010-11 rabi season due to higher coverage (497,000 hectare) area of Taramira crop as against its normal coverage (91,000 hectare) due to good rainfall and moisture conditions.
According to the agriculture ministry's data, wheat has been sown in 24.41 million hectare as on December 16, compared to 24 million hectare in the corresponding year-ago period.
Coverage under coarse cereals was down at 5.2 million hectare compared to 5.51 million hectare in the review period.
Similarly, area sown to oilseeds stands lower at 7.55 million hectare till December 16 in the current rabi season, as against 8.15 million hectare in the year-ago period.
Pulses acreage was slightly lower at 12.94 million hectare, as compared to 13 million hectare in the same period last rabi season.
