Wheat sowing on track despite delay in paddy harvesting in two major states, Agriculture Secretary said

Despite the delay in paddy harvesting in two major northern states, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi stated on Monday that wheat seeding is proceeding smoothly and is expected to pick up in the days ahead. According to Chaturvedi, "Wheat sowing will pick up in the coming days." He said that the total sowing area had crossed last year's level till last week.

He said that favorable soil moisture conditions and weather are helpful for wheat sowing, increasing the demand for fertilizers like diammonium phosphate (DAP). Sowing is also expected to pick up in Punjab and Haryana, where paddy harvesting has been delayed due to late monsoon rains.

But Chaturvedi added that in case the temperature rises during January-February, there could be some dent in the yield," he added. He said the government is promoting climate-resistant wheat varieties in order to help farmers overcome the impact of weather-related challenges.

Chaturvedi further said sowing of other winter crops, including mustard and gram, is also progressing well. Wheat is the main rabi crop of India, which is generally sown in November and harvested in March-April. Major wheat-producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.