India: Wheat, rice, coarse cereals registers increase in acreage

As per government data, in India during 2006-07 the total area coverage of cultivation of rice, wheat and coarse cereals have increased. The total area coverage of wheat for this year is over 28 million hectare as against approximately 26 million hectare in the corresponding period of 2005-06.

Higher coverage has been reported from the sates of Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In case of rice, the total coverage so far is over 41 million hectare.

The area coverage of coarse cereals has been higher than 6.7 million hectare against last year's 6.3 million hectare. Pulses cover over 14 million hectare which is approximately 400, 000 hectare more than that of last year.