E-Paper
Sluggish wheat sowing: Only 27% of targeted area covered in Punjab
Experts at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have asked farmers to sow wheat crop by November 15 as it is instrumental in maximising wheat yields. Punjab has achieved a mere 27% of the targeted 32 lakh hectares for the 2023-24 rabi season under wheat even as the recommended time to complete sowing is just two days away.
Punjab has achieved a mere 27% of the targeted 32 lakh hectares for the 2023-24 rabi season under wheat even as the recommended time to complete sowing is just two days away.
Experts at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have asked farmers to sow wheat crop by November 15 as it is instrumental in maximising wheat yields.
Sowing began on time from November 1 and wheat experts at PAU say this year the sowing of the main rabi crop was slower than 2022.
The experts attribute the ongoing sluggish sowing trend to the delay in paddy sowing after floods this year and the impact of rains that lashed the state last week.
PAU wheat expert Virinder Singh Sohu said the climatic conditions during winters would actually determine yield and farmers should now speed up sowing.
“Climatic conditions in 2022 had also affected the sowing trend. This time we were expecting that by November 13, sowing operation on more than 80% of the estimated area should have been accomplished. Widespread flooding during monsoon this year hit several parts of the state and rice growers had to re-sow the affected fields impacting the harvest of the kharif crop. Delayed sowing will solely not affect yield as favourable weather can compensate the six-month crop in the later stage,” said Sohu, head of the plant breeding and genetics department.
State agriculture director Jaswant Sigh Brar said on Monday that to date, sowing of rabi crop was done on nearly 9 lakh hectares and sowing was halted in almost all districts due to recent rains.
“As the climatic conditions have improved, farmers will expedite the sowing operation and it is expected to be over by November 20. In 2022, wheat acreage was 34.5 lakh hectares, which was 2.5 lakh hectares more than the estimated area, and this time we have set a targeted area of 32 lakh hectares under wheat,” said Brar.
He said more than 93% of the area under paddy and basmati has already been harvested and wheat sowing would be completed in another week.
