Wheat acreage down 5% on year at 5.2 mln ha.

Farmers in the country had sown wheat across 5.2 mln ha, 4.9% lower from the same period a year ago. However, acreage under the key rabi crop was lower than the five-year average of 8.5 mln ha for the period. Total area under wheat was lower on year as higher acreage in the country’s top two producing states-Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh was offset by fall in other growing regions. Area under wheat in Madhya Pradesh was 21.9% higher on year at 1.9 mln ha. In Uttar Pradesh, acreage was up 24.6% at 501,000 ha.