Wheat sowing has begun with the crop covering 4.28 lakh hectare in the current rabi season. Agriculture Ministry today said, wheat sowing is up by 55 per cent from a year ago. Wheat is the main rabi crop and sowing starts from October. <br/><br/>According to data released by the ministry, area under paddy has increased to 9.51 lakh hectare from 6.25 lakh hectare, while oilseed acreage has risen to 29.79 lakh hectare from 19.91 lakh hectare in the said period. <br/><br/>However, sowing of pulses has not picked up yet as area covered is down at 24.16 lakh hectare so far this rabi season as against 30.07 lakh hectare in the last season. Similarly, sowing area of coarse cereals was down at 13.84 lakh hectare as against 29.92 lakh hectare in the same period last year.