November 23, 2009

India's winter-sown wheat area as of Nov. 19 rose to 9.39 million hectares from 8.57 million hectares a year earlier, government data showed Friday (November 20).

The sowing of wheat, the main winter crop, usually starts Nov. 1; harvesting of the crop starts in March-April.

India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, is aiming to increase output by 2 million tonnes to offset a drop in output of summer-sown foodgrains due to drought and flooding. India had a bumper wheat harvest of 80.58 million tonnes in the fiscal year ended Mar. 31.

Rice plantings rose to 127,000 hectares from 62,000 hectares a year earlier, the data showed.

India's summer sown rice output is estimated to have fallen to 69.45 million tonnes in 2009-10 compared with 84.58 million tonnes a year earlier. Corn area as of Nov. 19 was 240,000, down 8 percent from a year ago.

Area under rapeseed, the main oilseed grown in winter, declined to 5.4 million hectares during the period from 5.6 million hectares a year earlier.