New Delhi, Jan 2. The area under cultivation of most cereals, particularly wheat and maize, has seen an increase during the rabi (winter sowing) season this year, though there is a dip in the oilseed sowing, according to the latest official data released Tuesday.

“Wheat and maize have been sown in significantly more area this season as compared to 2005-06. Wheat has covered 26.39 million hectares so far as compared to 24.73 million hectares during the corresponding period last year,” the agriculture ministry said in its latest weather watch report.

Maize has been sown in 986,000 hectares as against 679,000 hectares last year.

“A higher coverage of wheat has been reported in Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh,” the official statement said.

The higher coverage under wheat cultivation together with an increase in the use of high yielding varieties has raised expectations of a bumper wheat crop of around 74 million tonnes.

In the case of the rabi rice (which is harvested in April) too there has been an increase with the area sown so far having reached 881,000 hectares as against 779,000 hectares during the corresponding period of 2005-06.

Coarse cereals have also been sown in more area this year as compared to last year. Altogether, coarse cereals this year cover 6.64 million hectares as against 6.24 million hectares during the corresponding period last year.

Only jowar sowing is slightly less (4.73 million hectares against 4.77 million hectares last year).

With 12.43 million hectares covered so far under pulses, it has exceeded the coverage of 12.36 million hectares at this time last year.

“The area under rabi oilseeds at 9.07 million hectares is, however, less as compared to last year’s 9.89 million hectares, but it is higher than the five-year average of area under rabi oilseeds (8.37 million hectares),” the ministry stated.

“The less coverage this season is attributed to diversion from rapeseed and mustard to Bengal gram in Madhya Pradesh and to wheat in Rajasthan and Haryana,” the statement said.

India is a major importer of both edible oil and pulses as the domestic production meets only around half the demand. (IANS)