December 27, 2006

 

India's October 1-December 22 wheat sowing at 25 million hectares

 

 

India's wheat plantings as of Dec 22 are estimated at 25 million hectares, up from 21.8 million hectares in the year-earlier period, the latest government data showed Tuesday (Dec 26)

 

The plantings of wheat are almost complete as the area planted to the crop is usually 26 million hectares.

 

If India decides to import or export wheat next year, planting progress is one of the main factors on which India's 2007 wheat trade will depend on.

 

Farmers in India have shifted toward planting grains and pulses instead of oilseeds in anticipation of higher incomes.

 

Significant gains in wheat plantings of more than 3 million hectares from the year earlier have been made in non-traditional regions such as the western province of Rajasthan, which is better known for growing rapeseed.

 

In India, wheat is sown between October and December for harvest from mid-February.

 

Last week, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said India's wheat output could top 74 million tonnes in 2007, up from an estimated 69.48 million tonnes this year, if the weather continues to be favourable.

 

Rice sowing as of Dec 22 covered 761,000 hectares, up from 631,000 hectares in the year-earlier period.

 

Oilseeds covered 8.94 million hectares, down from 9.78 million hectares in the corresponding period of last year.

 

Sowing of the most important winter-sown oilseeds crop in volume and oil content ¨Crapeseed--covered 6.54 million hectares, down from 7.18 million hectares in the year-earlier period.

 

However, sowing of groundnuts increased to 393,000 hectares from 384,000 hectares during the period.

 

India's winter-sown crops are planted from October to December.