Wheat acreage in UP at five-year high

The sowing of wheat in Uttar Pradesh (UP), one of India's largest producing states, had reached a five-year high of almost 6.38 million hectares till Thursday, despite widespread agitation over sugarcane prices leading to the popular notion that there were still standing cane crops on vast areas of land.

According to latest data furnished by the department of agriculture, wheat had been sown on 6.38 million hectares till November 28, almost 17 per cent more than the corresponding period last year.

Wheat is usually planted on 9.4 million hectares in UP in the entire season, of which sowing had been completed in almost 68 per cent area till Thursday. It is on track to reach the targeted 9.73 million hectares in UP.

"This has raised some questions over the claim that farmers have delayed wheat sowing in the state due to the sugarcane agitation," a senior official said. Uttar Pradesh, along with Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh are the main wheat-producing states of the country.

Millions of farmers across most parts of UP have been on the warpath since the last few days because of a tussle with millers over sugarcane prices for the 2013-14 season.

The crises deepened after more than 70 of the 99 private sugar mills in the state suspended operations because of mounting losses made more acute by unrealistic sugarcane prices fixed by the state government.

Overall, data showed that wheat, which is the biggest foodgrain grown during the rabi season, has been planted in 17.94 million hectares till Thursday across the country, almost 13.2 per cent more than that during the corresponding period of the previous year. The biggest increase in acreage has come from Madhya Pradesh, apart from Uttar Pradesh.

"We are expecting a bumper wheat harvest in 2014-15, which could exceed the hitherto all-time high production of 95 million tonnes," another official said. He also said brimming reservoirs and an extended southwest monsoon had provided enough moisture to the soil for a good harvest.

The Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices in a recent report pegged India's agriculture growth in 2013-14 (June-July) at 5.2-5.7 per cent against 1.9 per cent last year.

Among other crops, the data showed that the sowing of pulses had been completed in 10.49 million hectares till Thursday, against 10.24 million hectares in the same period of the previous year, while oilseeds had been planted in 6.99 million hectares, almost 4.48 per cent more than that during last year.