Indian farmers increase wheat plantings by 3% from a year earlier

A Gurdial combine harvests wheat at a field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad
A Gurdial combine harvests wheat at a field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, March 16, 2022. REUTERS/Amit Dave/Files

MUMBAI, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Indian farmers have planted wheat on 28.65 million hectares (70.8 million acres) since Oct. 1, when the current sowing season began, up nearly 3% from a year ago, the latest data from the farm ministry showed on Friday.

Farmers have also increased the area cultivating rapeseed, a key winter-sown oilseed, to 9 million hectares as of Dec. 16, up from last year's 8.3 million hectares, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare said in a statement.

Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Christian Schmollinger

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