Favourable weather raises hope of bumper wheat crop

AGRI DEPT OFFICIALS PREDICTED 125 LAKH MT WHEAT PRODUCTION FROM 25 LAKH HECTARES THIS YEAR

KARNAL: Wheat growers of the region have reasons to smile. The favourable weather conditions and timely rainfall have raised the hope of a bumper harvest.

Officials in the state agriculture department predicted 125 lakh MT wheat production from 25 lakh hectares under wheat crop in the state this year. The weather was good and there was no bacterial or yellow rust attack was reported, they said.

Agriculture experts said the prolonged winter season would boost the wheat yield and the quality of the grain. The meteorological department officials also predicted that the ongoing weather conditions would continue till the second week of March.

Gyanendra Pratap Singh, director of the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, said, “Right from the beginning the climate has been favourable this year and so far no pest attack, including yellow rust, have been reported.”

“The weather is favourable in almost all wheat producing states and there is prediction that it will continue for the next two-three weeks. This will boost the yield of both early and lateral varieties,” he said, predicting the wheat production in the country could touch 105 million tonnes against the target of 100 million tonnes set, up by the Union government.

Haryana agriculture department deputy director Pradeep Meel said, “This year we are expecting a bumper wheat production as the crop was so far free from diseases and bacterial attack.”

The agriculture experts advised the farmers to irrigate the field as per the weather forecast to avoid damage to the crop.

The state had recorded wheat production about of 114 lakh MT in 2017 and 117 lakh MT in 2018. This year the agriculture officials were predicting the production around 125 lakh MT.

WAS BUSY IN REPAIR WORK WHEN THE WIRE HOLDING THE LIFT BROKE AND HE WAS CRUSHED UNDER IT