According to the preliminary reports received from the States, the total area sown under Rabi crops as on December 2, 2016 stands at 41.55 million hectares, as compared to 38.28 million hectare this time in 2015, Indian agriculture ministry said in a statement.
Wheat has been sown/transplanted in 17.39 million hectares, rice in 1.33 million hectares, pulses in 11.29 million hectares, coarse cereals in 4.45 million hectares and area sown under oilseeds is 7.07 million hectares.
However, pulses sowing has dropped by 1.39 million hectares and coarse cereals sowing has only touched 4.45 million hectares as on December 2, 2016, as compared to 5.14 million hectares sowed during the same period last year.
Rice sowing has also dropped to 1.33 million hectares, against 1.48 million hectares recorded as on December 2, 2015.
The area sown so far and that sown during last year this time is as follows:
(MN) Lakh hectare
| Crop | Area sown in 2016-17 | Area sown in 2015-16 |
| Wheat | 173.93 (17.39) | 152.56 (15.25) |
| Rice | 13.37 (1.33) | 14.84 (1.48) |
| Pulses | 112.95 (11.29) | 99.83 (9.98) |
| Coarse Cereals | 44.59 (4.45) | 51.40 (5.14) |
| Oilseeds | 70.70 (7.07) | 64.21 (6.42) |
| Total | 415.53 (41.55) | 382.84 (38.28) |
