India: As floods, rains delay wheat sowing, farmers told to opt for late varieties

so far is just 30.14 lakh hectares, as compared to 35 lakh hectares during the previous rabi season. Various factors have contributed to delay in sowing of wheat, including accumulation of silt in the fields brought by overflowing rivers, over 5,300 acres of land being washed away and delay in cotton picking in south Malwa. This is a major cause for concern, not just because it affects the livelihoods of farmers and economy, but also because it affects the state’s overall contribution to the central pool of foodgrain. Alarmed, the Agriculture Department has recommended several late sown varieties of wheat to farmers, so that the state’s overall wheat production does not gets impacted. “PBW RS1 and PBW Unnat 550 can be sown till the end of November, while PBW 771 and PBW 752 can be sown till December end. We have also started recommending another variety — PBW 757 — which can be sown till January 15. Farmers, who have not been able to sow the crop now, can go in for these ...