February 6, 2012

 

India's 2011-12 wheat production estimated to increase 3%

 

 

India's wheat output in 2011-2012 is estimated to grow by about 3% to a record 88.31 million tonnes due to high acreage and favourable weather.

 

The country's wheat output in the year ended June 30, 2011 was 85.93 million tonnes.

 

This will be the second straight year of a record crop, boosting the government's plan for introducing a food security program this year that promises cheap food grains to the poor and malnourished.

 

Wheat is sown in the winter month of November and its harvesting starts from end-March to early April. Prolonged cold weather across the breadbasket states as well as good soil moisture after the monsoon has improved the crop outlook.

 

Both the officials didn't want to be identified. The government is likely to release the official crop estimates in a couple of days.

 

The total food grain output is expected to exceed the government's target of 245.0 million tonnes, likely rising 3.6% to 250.42 million tonnes from 241.56 million tonnes in 2010-11. Of this, rice output will increase by nearly 8% to 102.75 million tonnes, the officials said.

 

Higher food grain output will also mean that the country is likely to continue rice and wheat exports for some time as India has been struggling to cope with a crunch in warehouse space after successive bumper crops.

 

Also oilseed output is expected to fall 3.5% to about 30 million tonnes because of unusually warm weather during the sowing period for winter oilseeds in the north-western state of Rajasthan.

 

India is the world's largest consumer of vegetable oils and imports nearly half of its requirement. Lower output will likely increase its imports.

 

The officials also said that output of pulses, the main source of protein for most Indians, is estimated to fall 4.5% to 17.28 million tonnes after a decline in the summer-sown cultivation area.

 

India, the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses, is estimated to have imported 2.75 million tonnes in 2010-11, from countries such as Canada, Myanmar, the US, France, Australia and Turkey.