Cropping Shift Led To Low Grain Output

Besides, floods in several intensive rice-growing areas in the north-west as well as the north-east are believed to have adversely affected the production of paddy. An early secession of winter is said to have led to a perceptible fall in wheat yield.

Agriculture ministry sources feel the trend of diversion of area from foodgrains to the relatively more lucrative commercial crops is most disquieting development that portends ill for future.

The preliminary estimates of acreage under different crops indicated a shrinkage of more than half-a-million hectares in wheat area and nearly a million hectares in coarse cereals.

Mainly oilseeds, and partly cotton and sugarcane, are believed to have gained in area. The acreage under oilseeds is estimated to have expanded by nearly a million hectares in 1995-96