Wheat Acreage Increases, Sowing Area of Rabi Pulses Declines by 6 Lakh Hectares in 2023-24

Despite erratic rainfall, wheat acreage has increased by 2.37 lakh hectares to 341.57 lakh hectares in 2023-24 rabi season as of February 2, 2024, according to a release by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. However, a decline in the sowing area of pulses and various oilseeds is still a looming concern.

Acreage of the major crops such as pulses, gram, urad bean, and moong bean have significantly declined in the 2023-24 rabi season. Similarly, oilseeds such as groundnut, safflower, and sunflower have also seen a fall in the sowing area. However, on a larger picture acreage of oilseeds has seen a marginal increase.

The reduction in the sowing area of pulses can be attributed to low rainfall in major producing states. Among pulses, the area under cultivation of gram has been affected the most with a decline of around 6 lakh hectares this season. The overall fall in acreage area of pulses is seen at 160.08 lakh hectares, which is 6 lakh hectares down from 166.19 lakh hectares in the last season. 

Not only pulses, but acreage of rabi paddy has come down to 39.29 lakh hectares, showing a fall of 1.08 lakh hectares from the last season. Though government’s push toward the ‘Shri Anna’ also known as coarse cereals has fructified with a significant increase in its acreage.

Among the coarse cereals, jowar’s acreage has increased to 25.17 lakh hectares from 22.37 lakh hectares, while that of maize has increased to 23.08 lakh hectares from 22.62 lakh hectares in the last season. However, the sowing area of a major course cereal- ragi is reduced by 10,000 hectares to 76,000 hectares.