Wheat sowing picks up pace across India

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New Delhi: Though wheat sowing across India has picked up pace in the last few weeks warding off much of the concerns over low foodgrain output, but many experts still believe that late sowing of wheat in some areas because of delay in harvesting the standing paddy and sugarcane crop does have the potential to bring down final output.

As per the latest government estimate, wheat has been sown in around 13.70 million hectares of land till last week, almost 5% more than the same period last year. Sowing in India ‘s two main wheat growing province of Punjab and Haryana, which contribute almost 80% of the total country’s production is nearing end.

Officials believe that barring delayed harvest kharif crops, cooler temperature in most parts of northern, central and western India added with the recent unseasonal rains should provide an ideal climatic condition for good wheat sowing and early growth.

The government expects an additional two million tonne of wheat production during the rabi season to offset some of the losses incurred during the kharif harvest.

“So far there is no cause of worry on wheat crops, however the final outcome depends on weather conditions in February and March which would also determine the quantum of additional production,” SS Singh, Karnal-based, Directorate of Wheat Research (DWS) told FE.

Singh’s cautious optimism may be because of uncertainty in the weather pattern seen last year, when overall output rose just marginally mainly because of unfavorable weather during the crucial grain formation stage.

Recently, HS Gupta, director, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) had said that because of late monsoon rains in many wheat growing areas of northern India few months back, the soil moisture condition was conducive for wheat sowing.

Gupta had also said that ‘the government’s target for 2009-10 wheat production to the tune of 82 million tonne would be ‘easily’ achieved if weather remains conducive.

India had record wheat output both in 2007-08 and 2008-09 largely due to increased acreage, favourable weather and higher returns.

Wheat production in 2008-09 was around 80.58 million while output in 2007-08 was almost 79 million tonne.