New Delhi, Jan 21:Even as the authorities wait until the end of January to finalise the area coverage under Rabi crops as per discussion with the states and direction of authority, extremely good water reservoir position and availability of soil moisture condition in the country has indicated a good prospect of summer crops planning.
Officials said on Friday, as per the report of Central Water Commission (CWC), as on January 20, the water storage available across 137 reservoirs in the country is 102 per cent of the live storage of corresponding period of last year and 124 per cent of the average of last ten years.
This was because of good monsoon rains clubbed with continued winter rains. The actual winter rainfall received in the country is 31.5 mm against normal of 10.2 mm i.e., departure of 209 per cent during the period from January 1 to 20.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said winter rainfall was received in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and some northeastern states such as Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
"The overall trend of Rabi crop sowing progress is very good across India as, going by the IMD records, major Rabi crops growing states have received recent winter rainfall which has brightened the prospect of Rabi crops," the officials said.
Most of the states are still expected to achieve the targeted area of total pulses within this month while sowing/transplanting of Rabi rice will be carried out in the southern and eastern region till mid-February.
As on Friday, the total sown area under Rabi crops is 679.34 lakh ha, against 671.98 lakh ha area during the corresponding period of last year. Thus, there is an increase in total Rabi area coverage by 7.36 lakh ha as compared to corresponding period of last year in the country,a the data showed.
Sowing reported under wheat was 340.82 lakh ha against 345.14 lakh ha area of last year, while rice sown area was 23.61 lakh ha against 30.21 lakh ha area of last year.
The area coverage under pulses, on the other hand, increased to 164.35 lakh ha against 162.88 lakh ha area of last year.
Area coverage reported under coarse cereals is 49.40 lakh ha against 50.90 lakh ha area of last year.
The area coverage reported under oilseeds was 101.16 lakh ha area against 82.86 lakh ha area of last year. Among oilseeds, significantly increased area coverage has been recorded under rapeseed and mustard at 91 lakh ha compared to corresponding period of last year's 73.10 lakh ha.
