Target too steep for rabi wheat acreage

Malwa region, the main wheat-growing belt of Madhya Pradesh, will see a shortfall in its rabi crop acre-age this season. The region, primarily known for its high protein wheat variety like Sharbati, has seen poor rainfall this year.

The state government had revised its rabi target upward by 900,000 hectares, from 7.68 million hectares. But, scanty rainfall, dry reservoirs and projected low irrigation areas have spoiled the plans of the state. 

Main reservoirs like Tawa, Barna, Bergi, Sanjay Gandhi among others, are dry and the state government has projected that the irrigation potential is expected to fall by 300,000 hectares from 700,000 hectare.
“The arid Malwa belt has received scanty rainfall and will lose at least 25 per cent of the wheat coverage,” Pravesh Sharma, principal secretary, farmer welfare, agriculture development and cooperative secretary told Business Standard. He added, “Chambal and Bundelkhand belt have received good rainfall and our losses will be compensated. Last year, Gwalior saw only 50 per cent of the target coverage.”

The state government has projected the wheat acreage to remain stagnant at 3.7 million hectares and for crop like gram (chana) the acreage to go up to 2.8 million hectares from 2.4 million hectares recorded the previous year.

“If it rains during winter, the chana output will go up. Further, the certified rabi seed distribution has also gone up from 350,000 quintal to 963,000 quintals. The wheat seed distribution has gone up from 286,000 quintal to 835,000 quintal and gram seed distribution from 48,000 quintals to 100,000 quintals,” he added.

The fertiliser (di-ammonium phosphate) availability has reached 270,000 metric tonnes against the demand of 425,000 tonne while sale stands at 212,000 tonnes against only 43,000 tonne seen in the previous year, he added. The state has ensured 550,000 tonnes of DAP supply against which it has received 350,000 tonnes. “We also have sufficient urea for this Rabi season,” Sharma added.

As of now gram and mustard sowing has been completed on 700,000 hectares while wheat sowing will start early November.