Extreme cold favourable for the crop.
The ongoing cold wave and December rain have delighted farmers of Punjab and Haryana by brightening the chances of a bumper wheat crop. Agriculture officials say extreme cold is good for the crop.
The wheat acreage in Punjab would remain about the same as last year’s 3.52 million hectares. But, production will be more. The agriculture department is expecting 15.4 million tonnnes this year, as compared to 15.2 mt last year. The average yield last year was 43.07 quintals per hectare; they now expect 44 quintals per ha.
Officials say the total targeted area under wheat this rabi season is 3.5 m ha, slightly less than last year’s 3.52 m ha, as the government is enouraging farmers to diversify. Around 90 per cent of the sown area during rabi is under wheat; the rest is under oilseeds, pulses, barley, etc.
As for Haryana, as against 10.5 mt wheat last year, the target is 11.46 mt. With good monsoon, agriculture officials said they expected yield to touch 46.50 qtl per hectare, compared to 42 qtls per ha last year. Haryana is the second-largest contributor of wheat to the central pool and the area under wheat is estimated to have touched 2.475 m ha, as against the target of 2.465 m ha. Last year, the sown area was 2.492 m ha.
Farm officials said rains that hit the state last month brightened crop prospects and helped farmers cut irrigation costs. They said farmers saved water in at least one cycle of irrigation, a collective saving of at least Rs 150-225 crore.
Farm officials said the area under mustard this year in Haryana touched 550,000 hectares, as against 513,000 ha last year.
The output is estimated at 1.05 mt, as against 849,000 tonnes last year. Severe winter and fog is dangerous for mustard as chances of fungal attack rise when the night temperature dips. However, the rain, resulting in an increase in the night temperature, has lowered chances of a fungal attack.
Punjab grows far less; it’s estimated sown area for both mustard and rapeseed is about 36,000 ha. Apart from these two, no other major crop is sown this season.
