The area under coarse cereals sowing for the Rabi season has seen significant growth, with an increase of 4.50 lakh hectares compared to the previous year. As per government data, the total sowing area for coarse cereals has reached 29.25 lakh hectares, up from last year's 24.70 lakh hectares.

Key highlights include:

• Jowar: The sowing area has increased from 14.10 lakh hectares to 17.45 lakh hectares.
• Maize: The area under maize cultivation has risen from 6.53 lakh hectares to 6.87 lakh hectares.
• Barley: The area for barley cultivation has grown from 3.65 lakh hectares to 4.27 lakh hectares.
• Ragi: The area has expanded from 37,000 hectares to 53,000 hectares.

In addition to these, millet and small millets have also been cultivated in smaller areas.

For the current Rabi season, the normal sowing areas are:

• Sorghum (Jowar): 24.37 lakh hectares
• Maize: 22.11 lakh hectares
• Barley: 5.63 lakh hectares
• Millet: 92,000 hectares
• Ragi: 68,000 hectares
• Small millets: 11,000 hectares

The total sowing area for coarse cereals, at 29.25 lakh hectares, is still below the normal average area of 53.82 lakh hectares, suggesting that sowing will continue in the upcoming weeks.

Maize production is expected to be particularly high in Bihar, where farmers may be motivated by attractive market prices, especially after the ongoing Kharif harvest.