New Delhi, Sep 23 - With half of India hit by drought and the country's food grain output expected to slump by millions of tonnes, the central government has sent detailed advisories to states on ways to maximise food production during the coming rabi season.

'The focus is on early district-level rabi planning. Consultants have been sent to a number of states to help them make district plans and guide them on various technical aspects,' the agriculture ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

'States have also been advised to explore the possibility of increasing coverage under wheat, boro/summer rice and pulses. The need to take necessary steps to raise productivity of various crops has also been highlighted,' the ministry said.

Since wheat contributes over 73 percent to rabi crop production, stress is being laid on increasing wheat production substantially, the statement added.

'One effective measure suggested for raising wheat yield is early sowing, by the end of November, and the other is to bring maximum area under high yielding and high temperature-tolerant varieties,' the statement added.