In a significant meeting, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday discussed issues such as shortage of fertilisers and urea, certification of bio-stimulants and preparations for the upcoming Rabi crop with agriculture ministers and officials from several states.
The Chief Minister was chairing a review meeting in Chandigarh today regarding the preparations for the Rabi procurement marketing season 2025-26.
The area covered under wheat has increased to 293.11 lakh hectares (ha) compared to 284.17 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year.
The area covered under the sowing of the Rabi crop in the ongoing season has gone up to 428.28 hectares as on December 2 up from 411.8 lakh hectares, according to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture on Monday.
Pertinently, during Rabi 2021-22, the area sown under wheat crop was 141 acres wherein 35 farmers were roped in for cultivation.
For wheat, there is an increase in area coverage by 14.53 lakh ha over the last year and this has been the highest ever in the last four years.
The situation is bad in Gujarat where rains this week were 400 % more than normal, Odisha where it is 535 % more than the average, West Bengal 515 % more than normal, Kerala 475 % more than normal and central Maharashtra 255 % more.
Though, he indicated that the ongoing lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus should continue, while noting that predictions by health experts about the spread of the pandemic are 'horrendous and frightening'.
Lohri/Pongal is celebrated to mark the end of the sowing season of Rabi crop, which now can be harvested.
The state had been in the centre of the storm for stubble burning, whose hazards were reportedly felt across northern India, including the capital Delhi.
