Rabi crops News

The area covered under wheat has increased to 239.49 lakh hectares compared to 234.15 lakh hectares in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The increase in MSP for Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at lease 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average Cost of Production, aiming at reasonably fair remuneration for the farmers. 

As per media repots, the government might take a big decision regarding the MSP of Rabi crops in the meeting of the Union Cabinet and CCEA today.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Rabi crops for Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2022-23.

Higher temperatures seen in past few weeks will not impact rabi crops like wheat, government said Friday, adding that rains in some parts of the country are expected to boost the production prospects.  

Sowing of rabi crops like wheat has been affected due to both drought and floods this year and the government is taking steps to minimise the impact, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said Thursday.

Buoyed by higher support price, farmers have planted pulses in more area at 38.91 lakh hectares in this rabi season so far against 34.42 lakh hectares area in the year-ago period.  

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.

Government is taking all steps to tackle any unforeseen situation arising out of below-normal monsoon this year and states are also alert on the matter, a top official said on Thursday.

Unseasonal rains and hailstorms during this month have damaged rabi (winter-sown) crops in 106.73 lakh hectares of area across 14 states as against the earlier estimates of 181 lakh hectares.

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday breifed his finance counterpart Arun Jaitley about damages in rabi crops in about estimated 181 lakh hectares across 13 states due to untimely rain and hailstorm.

Area under coverage for coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds is also down in the winter sowing season compared to the year-ago period.

Total area sown to gram is down by 21 percent at 79.65 lakh hectares, while that of wheat crop is lagging behind marginally at 293.16 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing rabi season, according to latest government data.