Last year, Rajasthan produced 67.22 lakh tonnes of wheat in 26.80 lakh hectares and this year sowing in 22 lakh hectares has been completed covering 70 per cent of the target. ``We expect to complete the target by the first week of next month'', says PM Agarwal, director of agriculture.

Farmers have been asked to increase the number of plants per hectare in case of wheat as this would result in a higher yield, says the director. Field demonstrations have been conducted all over the state as wheat is a major rabi crop.

An area of 69.60 lakh hectares in the state is under rabi crop as against the targetted 70.20 lakh hectares, up from last year's total of 68.6 lakh hectares, informs Agarwal.

Mustard covered 23.16 lakh hectares as against 25 lakh hectares lastyear. This year the department had set the mustard target at 24.75 lakh hectares, but due to some fear among farmers there was a marginal fall in the area. This is despite the fact that the department had done its best to let the farmers know that dropsy and problems in selling the mustard oil would not hinder their selling mustard. The drop in mustard area has been taken over by barley, informs Agarwal.

Barley has covered 2.23 lakh hectares this year as against the targetted two lakh hectares.

Gram is a major rabi pulse which is grown in large areas in Rajasthan. This year it has covered 20.37 lakh hectares which is 2.5 lakh hectares more compared to last rabi. There are some areas where the mustard has also been replaced by gram. Last year the state had produced 19.25 lakh tonnes of gram.

Agarwal says that some symptoms have been noticed of Podborer and Heliothis diseases in the gram crop and the farmers have been asked to treat the plants chemically. These disease were common in Rajasthan and thefarmers knew how to deal with the same.

Asked if the gram yield would be less as a result of the diseases, Agarwal said that it was too early to say in the matter as much would depend on the total spread. The department would also take up field demonstrations if there was such a need.