Wheat crop harvesting has reached around 67 per cent of the total area under cultivation so far. The statewise harvesting has also increased and reached to 95 per cent in Madhya Pradesh, 85 per cent in Rajasthan and 65 per cent in Uttar Pradesh.

The Agriculture Ministry said, harvesting is at its peak in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and it is likely to be completed by the end of this month.

AIR correspondent reports that of the pulses sown in 161 lakh hectares, harvesting has been completed for gram, lentil, urd, mung and field pea. For sugarcane, out of the total sown in over 54 lakh hectares, harvesting has been completed in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab.

In Uttar Pradesh, 75 to 80 per cent has been completed and this will continue till mid May. Besides Rabi Rice sown in 28 lakh hectares across Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura and West Bengal is in the initial stages of harvesting since the grain is still in the filling stage and harvesting times would vary.

The Agriculture Ministry said, summer sowing in the country as on 17th of this month is 36 per cent higher compared to last year during the corresponding period. The rainfall received in the season has also been 14 per cent higher compared to last year during the corresponding period which has been conducive for the sowing of summer crops.

The total summer crop area has increased to over 52 lakh hectares from 38 lakh hectares from the corresponding period last year.