As deadline set by experts nears, 50% wheat yet to be sown in state

PAU experts have asked farmers to sow wheat by November 15 as it will help in getting maximum yield

BATHINDA: Punjab has achieved less than 50% of the targeted 35 lakh hectares under wheat even as recommended time to complete sowing is five days away.

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) principal agronomist and wheat expert Hari Ram attributes overall slower sowing to delay in paddy sowing and later impact of rains on the kharif crop. “We were expecting that by November 10, sowing operation on more than 60% of the estimated area should have been accomplished. Farmers will expedite sowing to ensure no yield loss due to delayed sowing. By November 15, we hope 80% sowing will be over as climatic conditions are conducive and bumper crop is expected,” he added.

State agriculture director Gurvinder Singh said that by November 9, sowing of rabi crop was done on 16 lakh hectares. Experts at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have asked farmers to sow wheat crop by November 15 as it helped in maximising wheat yields. Sowing began in time from November 1 and the wheat experts at PAU said this rabi season sowing was slower by 15%. Agriculture officials say more than 92% area under paddy and basmati has already been harvested.

A sizeable area in the cotton-growing districts of southwest Punjab is yet to be cleared and the semi-arid region will take about 20 more days to complete sowing of wheat.

Data says wheat sowing rate in the seven districts of south Malwa belt is lower than the state average of 45%.

Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa and four other districts of the region are expected to have over 13 lakh hectares under wheat this rabi season. But sowing is yet to gain momentum in the belt. Most part of the region has a tradition to complete wheat sowing by the end of November.

Bathinda chief agriculture officer Dilbag Singh said like the previous season, 2.60 lakh hectare area will be used to cultivate wheat. “Rice crop harvest is in the final stage but 68,000 hectare under cotton is still standing. Farmers in a large area are busy harvesting third picking of cotton bolls. In another 18-20 days, sowing will be over,” he said.

Official data says Patiala is leading with 75% sowing followed by Fatehgarh Sahib (70%) and SAS Nagar (68%). Fazilka is expected to have 2.01 lakh hectares under wheat but sowing has been done only on 15%. Farmers in Faridkot and Muktsar have completed sowing on 20% area and rank among the low sowing rate.