February 4, 2008

India wheat crops unaffected by recent rainfalls
 

The weekend showers across India's wheat-growing areas were light and did little to change soil moisture levels, according to the latest report by renowned meteorologist and commodity analyst Mike Tannura.

Tannura said temperatures could remain lower than average this week, which would prevent heat stress and provide favourable temperatures for heading wheat.

Wheat sowing has picked up pace during the past three months than in October, and most experts are of the opinion that good weather during January to March will be crucial for a positive output, as delayed sowing has already reduced the chances of any major production increase.

The latest federal government data shows that wheat has been sowed in 27.56 million hectares as of February 1, 2008, down from 28.06 million from a year earlier.

India produced about 74.9 million tonnes of wheat in the crop-marketing year that ends in March.