The sowing area of coarse grains, including Shri Ann, has increased by 70,000 hectares during the current Rabi season, compared to the previous year. According to the Union Agriculture Ministry's latest data, the total area for coarse grains is 35.80 lakh hectares, which is 70,000 hectares more than last year's 35.10 lakh hectares. However, this is still below the five-year average area of 53.82 lakh hectares.

The sowing area for individual crops has seen various trends:

• Jowar has experienced the most significant increase, with its area expanding from 18.32 lakh hectares to 19.38 lakh hectares.
• Maize has seen a slight increase, from 10.05 lakh hectares to 10.07 lakh hectares.
• Millets have been sown in 13,000 hectares, a new addition compared to last year's zero sowing at this time.
• Ragi has remained unchanged at 45,000 hectares.
• Bajra has seen a sowing area of 10,000 hectares.
• Barley has witnessed a decrease in its area, from 6.15 lakh hectares last year to 5.65 lakh hectares this year, although this is still above the normal average of 5.63 lakh hectares.

The average sowing area for Maize during the Rabi season is typically 22.11 lakh hectares, but this year’s sowing stands at just over 10 lakh hectares. However, as the harvest of Kharif crops begins to gain momentum in Bihar, the pace of sowing for Maize may pick up, since Bihar is the largest producer of Maize during the Rabi season.

The main coarse cereals for the Rabi season include Jowar, Maize, and Barley. Rajasthan leads in barley production, while Bihar is a significant producer of Maize.