Recent data indicate that India is experiencing a significant increase in the area planted with winter crops. This could lead to increased yields.
Indian farmers are currently actively expanding the area planted with winter crops. These include popular crops such as wheat, rapeseed, and chickpeas.
The main reason for this increase is the increased soil moisture that is occurring in many regions of the country. This allows farmers to cultivate the soil even in areas that were previously inaccessible.
For India, this development is a major positive, experts note. The country currently has the largest population in the world, so ensuring sufficient food supplies is a priority.
Experts believe that expanding the area planted will help India address an important objective: increasing agricultural production and, equally important, reducing domestic prices.
It’s even possible that exporters will be able to establish a small export of wheat flour. It’s worth remembering that this is currently banned until 2023, when a significant portion of the harvest was destroyed by extreme heat.
Increasing rapeseed production is a direct path to increasing oilseed production. This, in turn, could be a good opportunity to reduce the volume of oilseed purchased from abroad, analysts believe.
Currently, India is the world’s leading importer of vegetable oil, meaning it must spend heavily on this import.
The latest data show that 48 million hectares have already been sown with winter crops since October 1, when winter crop sowing began in India.
This is 6% more than the previous year, making it a significant result. Of these, 24 million hectares have been sown with wheat, an 11% increase from the previous year.
Meanwhile, the total area of rapeseed fields increased by 5% and currently stands at approximately 8 million hectares.
Chickpea acreage increased by 4%, reaching 8 million hectares. Rice fields now occupy approximately 1 million hectares, an 11% increase compared to last year.
Experts note that the increase in soil moisture and the absence of heat waves may be related to the La Niña weather phenomenon. If this influence continues, Indian agriculture as a whole could become more productive and maintain a consistently high level of agricultural production.
