Yellow Rust attacks India's wheat crop output may fall

India's wheat crop in bread basket Punjab state is likely to shrink by at least 5 percent from official estimates due to an attack of yellow rust disease ahead of the harvest said state government officials and farmers.

The damage could have been much higher, but the impact will be less only because the fungus has attacked the crop just ahead of harvesting at the grain-bearing stage, officials said.

Punjab is the main wheat-growing state and together with neighbouring Haryana state accounts for about a third of the country's wheat output, estimated at 77.8 million tonnes in 2009.

Last year, a bumper crop yielded 78.6 million tonnes.