For the second consecutive year, wheat production in Haryana will fall below initial estimates despite a good monsoon in the North Indian states.
According to state agriculture officials, late sowing of wheat will lead to a delayed harvest and the crop yield will drop by 37.50 kg per hectare per day. The longer it takes to harvest the crop, the loss of crop would increase.
The officials are expecting wheat production to touch the 11.4-million-tonne mark this year. Last year, estimated wheat production was pegged at 11.4 million tonnes, but the yield was 10.5 million tonnes.
Officials said this year, the late crop will be sown in approximately 30 per cent of the area under rabi crop cultivation, compared to 20 per cent last year.
Till date 2 million hectares has been covered under wheat production, compared to 2.11 million hectares covered in the corresponding period last year.
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The officials maintained area under delayed sowing in Haryana was likely to increase owing to extended monsoon which has resulted in delayed harvesting of major kharif crops — paddy and cotton.
The official said areas, especially in south-west Haryana, are likely to go in for late sowing of wheat as cotton plucking was still underway in many districts. As against 2.47 million hectares area under wheat last year, this year the area under wheat in Haryana is estimated to be 2.47 million hectares.
Pakistan allows 1 mt export after ban
Reuters adds: Pakistan on Tuesday decided to allow the private sector to export one million tonnes of wheat after a three-year ban that was due to shortages and high prices in the domestic market, finance ministry officials said. “The government has allowed the private sector to export one million tonnes of wheat,” one of the officials said after a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the government’s highest decision-making body. He did not elaborate.