With wheat sowing nearly complete in the northern region, area under the winter crop is expected to cross the targeted area of 35 lakh hectares in Punjab, while acreage in Haryana may reach the targeted area of 25.05 lakh ha.

State agricultural officials said about 98 per cent and 95 per cent of targeted area have been covered with wheat in Punjab and Haryana, respectively.

“Based on reports coming from fields in Punjab, area under wheat is expected to go over 35 lakh ha this rabi sowing season,” a senior official of Punjab Agriculture department said here today.

So far, 34.52 lakh ha of area has been brought under wheat as compared to 35 lakh ha covered in corresponding period of last season.

“Still there are few pockets in cotton belt in Bathinda and sub-mountain area in Hoshiarpur where wheat sowing is yet to complete which will be covered in few days,” he said.

Punjab had projected wheat acreage of 35 lakh ha before commencement of sowing as against 35.28 lakh ha brought in last season, official said.

In Haryana, wheat sowing has been completed on 24 lakh ha, covering over 95 per cent of targeted area this season.

The neighbouring Haryana kept wheat acreage at 25.05 lakh ha compared with 25.22 lakh ha last year.

Wheat growing States of Punjab and Haryana are eyeing wheat output of 285 lakh tonne for rabi sowing season 2012-13, which is 8 per cent lower than the all time high crop production witnessed last season.

Wheat sowing in the States got delayed by about week due to late harvesting of paddy crop.

Punjab is eyeing wheat output of 161 lakh tonne with yield of 46.96 quintals a ha while Haryana is aiming at a production of 124 lakh tonne with 49.50 quintals per ha yield for 2012-13 season.

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