New Delhi

Sowingof a few rabi crops has begun, but the overall coverage was down 26.23 per cent at 3.43 lakh hectares as of October 16, according to Agriculture Ministry data released on Wednesday.

Farmers had sown 4.65 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. Rabi (winter) sowing begins in October, with harvesting from March. Sowing of wheat, the main rabi crop, is yet to commence.

According to the data, planting of rice, field peas, jowar, maize, barley, mustard and groundnut has started in a few states. Rice planting has commenced only in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with coverage at 88,000 hectare. Among pulses, gram sowing has begun in Rajasthan and Nagaland, while field pea has been sown in Mizoram, Nagaland and Rajasthan, among others. Sowing of coarse cereals has just commenced in a few states. Jowar has been sown on 8,000 hectare, maize on 2,000 hectare and barley on 1,000 hectare as of October 16. Rapeseed/mustard has been sown on 2.26 lakh hectare, down from 3.10 lakh hectare a year ago.

Groundnut has been planted on 1,000 hectare during the period. The Ministry has set a total rabi food grain production target of 177.72 million tonnes for the 2026-27 crop year (July-June).