Wheat sowing has picked up in Punjab and Haryana, after initial sluggishness due to slightly warm weather in the past month and delayed harvesting of kharif crops including rice and sugarcane.
In Punjab around 90 per cent of sowing has been completed and the rest is likely to be completed in another fortnight. In neighbouring Haryana also the pace of sowing has picked up with wheat being sown in over 17 lakh hectares area till now.
“We are expecting farmers to sow wheat in around 35 lakh hectares during this rabi season. And out of this wheat has been sown in over 32 lakh hectares till now. We are optimistic that in the next 10 to 15 days wheat sowing will be completed across the State,” Gurdial Singh, Director, Punjab agriculture department, told The Hindu.
Even as sowing has picked up, agriculture experts are concerned about the warm weather conditions that have been prevailing in parts of the wheat-growing States of north India.
Senior agriculture expert and Punjab State Farmers Commission adviser P.S. Rangi said: “Wheat is a winter crop, a prolonged winter spell is always beneficial for the crop’s yield. Now we are experiencing a little warmer weather for this time of the year. And if such weather continues for a longer period then there is always a chance wheat yield could see a drop.”
However, it is too early to say if output will be impacted, he added.
In Punjab last year wheat was sown in over 35 lakh hectares and it saw a production of 152.75 lakh tonnes. In Haryana, meanwhile last year the total area under wheat was 26 lakh hectares and it produced 103 lakh tonnes.
