Wheat sowing area up 3.17%; Centre says its interventions are helping

Wheat sowing neared its end with almost 3.17 per cent more area covered during the week ended December 13 in comparison to the same period last year. But, with weather turning cold in several parts of North India in the past few days, traders expected farmers to bring more area under wheat this rabi season than normal and sowing to continue for some more time.

Normally, wheat is sown in around 31.22 million hectares of land and till December 23 this year it has been sown in around 30.26 million hectares. Last year during the same period the crop was sown in around 30.26 million hectares. In total rabi crops have been planted in around 62.06 million hectares till Friday, which was 4.37 per cent more than the area covered during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the government in a statement said that timely supply of quality seeds of high yielding varieties, inputs, latest production technologies, credit, crop insurance, micro-irrigation and post harvest facilities are a few of such interventions that have led to a large increase in area under rabi crops this year.