Reports on Foreign <^rops. 



97 



Panjab and Sind, it is believed that there will be an active 

 export of wheat from Karachi during the coming season, and 

 that the trade from Calcutta also will probably be larger 

 than it has been in recent years. 



The other of the two great regions mentioned above com- 

 prises Western and Central India, namely, Bombay, Berar, 

 the Nizam's Territory, and the Central Provinces. In this 

 region conditions have not been as favourable as in the other. 

 There has been a contraction in area, and a yield on 

 that area not equal to, and in some parts much below, 

 an average. It is considered doubtful, therefore, whether 

 from this region there will be such a surplus available for 

 export as to bring the shipments of wheat from Bombay 

 up to the level of former years. 



The following paragraphs summarise the provincial 

 reports : — 



In the Panjab the area sown with wheat is now estimated 

 at 7,654,400 acres, which is 8 per cent, larger than the 

 average and 16 per cent, in excess of last year. The yield 

 is, on the whole, estimated at iabout 9 per cent, in excess of 

 the average. 



In the North - Western Provinces, as in the Panjab, 

 sowings were made under favourable conditions, but the 

 crop suffered from the prolonged drought from November to 

 January. It is expected that the yield will come up to or 

 exceed the average, if the present fine weather continues. 



In Bengal the area under wheat is estimated at about 

 1,574,000 acres, being 15 per cent, larger than last year, 

 abundant rains having fallen at sowing time. The subse- 

 quent drought affected the crop to some extent in the 

 principal wheat-growing districts, but the yield for the pio- 

 vince is estimated to be fifteen-sixteenths of the average. 



In the Central Provinces the area sown is 1^882,000 acres, 

 this area being slightly smaller even than last year and not 

 quite half the average ; but the crop is reported to be in good 

 condition, and the yield for the province is estimated at 

 thirteen-sixteenths of the average. 



In Bombay and Sind the area sown is estimated at 

 2,280,000 acres, being 23 per cent, more than the area sown 



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