Rabi crop coverage increases by 24 lakh hectares over last year, govt expects good production

New Delhi, November 26

The Rabi coverage so far has increased by 24.13 lakh ha over last year, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said today, expressing satisfaction that area under the key crop—wheat—also increased by 14.53 lakh ha.

“Major wheat growing states have reported increased area coverage as compared to last year. For wheat, there is an increase in area coverage by 14.53 lakh ha over last year, the highest ever since the last four years. The coverage so far was 152.88 lakh ha as compared to 138.35 lakh ha of the corresponding period of last year,” according to an official statement.

The normal wheat coverage is 304.47 lakh ha and of total Rabi crops 633.80 lakh ha. As on November 25, the total area sown under Rabi crops recorded 358.59 lakh ha— 57% of the normal Rabi area—as compared to 334.46 lakh ha in corresponding period, last year.

Tomar hoped that with favourable soil moisture conditions, better live water storage position and comfortable availability of fertilisers across the country, Rabi crops area coverage will accelerate further in the coming days, leading to a good harvest.

The present live water storage in 143 important reservoirs across the country is 149.49 Billion Cubic Meter (week ending November 24, 2022) which is 106 percent of the corresponding period of last year and 119 percent of average storage of past 10 years of the corresponding period.

Soil moisture condition during November 15-21was also more than the average of the past seven years of the corresponding period in most of the districts. The availability of fertilisers against requirement for the Rabi season is also comfortable across the country, according to the statement.