Wheat acreage matches normal area, raising hopes of regular harvest

With the weather expected to turn cold in north India and a forecast of mild showers, it should augur well for the standing crop

The area covered under wheat has matched the normal acreage of the past five years during the week ending December 20. This could mean a regular harvest, provided the weather remains benign over the next few months.

 

Data shows that till last week, wheat has been sown in nearly 31.22 million hectares of land, up 2.46 per cent from the area covered during the same period last year, and almost at the level of the past five years. In the past five years, wheat has been usually sown in around 31.23 million hectares of land.

 

However, one area of concern is the late sowing due to extended monsoon and delay in availability of critical inputs.

   

Meanwhile, among other rabi crops, data shows that acreage of mustard seed is less than last year but more than the normal acreage while that of gram is more than last year but less than the five years’ average acreage.

 

Rabi Sowing As On December 20, 2024 (in million hectares)   

Crops	Normal Area	2024-25	2023-24	% Change*	%Change**
Wheat	31.23	31.22	30.47	2.46	0.0
Rice	4.2	1.28	1.24	3.23	-69.5
Pulses	14.04	12.56	12.68	-0.95	-10.5
Gram	10.09	8.6	8.44	1.90	-14.8
Lentil (masur)	1.51	1.7	1.77	-3.95	12.6
Coarse Cereals	5.38	4.48	4.6	-2.61	-16.7
Maize	2.21	1.6	1.67	-4.19	-27.6
Mustard	7.91	8.85	9.37	-5.55	11.9
Total	63.56	59.08	59.09	-0.02	-7.0

 

NOTE: The normal area is average area covered in last five years in case of most crops.

Total Might not match as it’s a sum of broad heads

*Change is between 2024-25 and 2023-24

**Change from normal area (which is the average area of last five years for most crops)

Source: Government of India     India extends permission for duty-free imports of yellow peas until Feb 2025   India has extended permission for duty-free imports of yellow peas until February 2025, according to a government order issued on Tuesday. The South Asian nation is the world's biggest importer of yellow peas. In FY24, India imported around 2 million tonnes of yellow peas, the highest ever since imports were allowed a few years ago, with the bulk coming from Australia. In fact, Australia has replaced Canada as the largest supplier of yellow peas to India in recent years due to a diplomatic row with Canada.