Wheat, pulses oilseeds up, maize down

NEW DELHI: Winter staple wheat has been sown in nearly 10 lakh hectares (one million ha) more this seaon upto October 1, when sowing season began, butteressing estimates of a record 82mt of wheat this season.

Accordign to the Crop Weather Watch Group, upto February 18, oilseeds and pulses have also been sown in more acreage comapred to the same time last year, at 95 lakh ha and 152 lakh ha this year compared to the last year. Corn ( maize) however, has been sown is one lakh hectares lower, at only 11 lakh ha.

Setting a fresh record in wheat and pulses production, India's overall foodgrain output in the 2010-11 crop year is expected to bounce back after a drought year with a growth of 6% at 232.07 mt, according to the Second Advance (Crop output) Estimates released earlier this month. Estimates by theCentral Statistical Organisation (CSO) also suggest that agricultureand allied activities are likely to grow at 5.4% in2010-11, compared to just 0.4% in 2009-10.