Wheat production down by 5.2% in Sangrur district

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 15

The Covid surge coupled with the vagaries of weather have already made a dent in the wheat production across Sangrur district. To date, the production of wheat has seen a decline of 5.22 percent. But farmers and agriculture department officers are hopeful that Sangrur will retain its top position, like last year, in wheat production across the state.

Sources said the 39 crop-cutting experiments of agriculture department officers showed the average per hectare production of wheat had gone down to 5,469 kg per hectare against the last year figure of 5,767 kg per hectare.

In the district, a total of 2,91,000 hectares is under wheat production and authorities are expecting around 15,91,500 MTs of wheat production this year. Though last year a similar area was under wheat, but the production was 16,78,197 MT.

Till last evening, harvest of 31 per cent wheat had taken place and 2,78,380 MTs had arrived in various grain markets of the district. Of the total arrival, Pungrain has purchased 1,10,115 MTs, Markfed 6,2910 MTs, Punsup 60,170 MTs, Punjab State Ware House Corporation 21,905 MTs and FCI 1430 MTs.

“Last year Sangrur had topped in per acre and overall production of wheat across state. We would again produce 9.52 per cent of the state’s total wheat production. Despite a 5.22 per cent decline, we are hopeful that we would again top in wheat production across state” said Jaswinderpal Singh Grewal, Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Sangrur.