India, April 1 -- Cultivation area of maize has increased eightfold and tripled for pulses in last decade

West Bengal is witnessing a significant shift in crop patterns. Farmers are increasingly abandoning wheat cultivation in favour of more profitable alternatives. In Murshidabad and Nadia districts, bordering Bangladesh, farmers are cultivating banana, lentils and maize in place of wheat.

"I own 3.7 hectares of farmland, and some 0.75 hectare of the land is located between Bangladesh and India border. Traditionally, my family grew wheat but it is not as economically feasible for us any more," said Montu Mondal, a farmer from Sarkarpura village. Mondal has replaced about 80 per cent of his wheat with banana plantations.

One of the maj...