Wheat sowing lagging behind at 2.76 lakh hectare

New Delhi: Wheat sowing is lagging behind as the crop has been planted in only 2.76 lakh hectare so far in the ongoing rabi season due to lack of soil moisture.

Wheat acreage stood at 4.47 lakh hectare in the same period of the rabi season last year.

The sowing of rabi crops like wheat begins in October and harvesting starts from April.

"As per preliminary reports on the sowing of crops, sowing of rabi crops has started in some parts of the country. Wheat has been sown/transplanted in 2.76 lakh hectares as on November 6," said an official release issued by the Agriculture Ministry.

Farm experts said wheat sowing will pick up pace after two-three spells of rains during the Diwali festival. Right now, more farmers are not taking risk to sow wheat due to lower soil moisture following poor monsoon rains.

As per the ministry's data, pulses have been sown in 28.65 lakh hectare so far in the 2015-16 rabi season, slightly lower than 29.73 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

More area is expected to be covered under gram and masoor dals, the main rabi pulses, in the coming days as the government has hiked the minimum support price (MSP) of these two lentils by Rs 325 per quintal each including a bonus of Rs 75 per quintal for this season.

Coarse cereals acreage has increased to 32.52 lakh hectare from 21.09 lakh hectare, while area under oilseeds is lagging behind at 19.91 lakh hectare so far this rabi season from 31.76 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

Total area covered under all rabi crops is 83.95 lakh hectares as on today of this rabi season compared with 87.27 lakh hectare in the same time last year's rabi season.