June 15, 2006

India's wheat output has to double to meet demand in 2025

India's already large wheat production has to double by 2025 to meet it's growing consumption needs, Executive Director for Jayakrishna Flour Mills Ltd, Ravali Mohan said Wednesday (Jun 14).

India's population is growing at a rate of 1.9 percent annually, but the rise in domestic food grain production remains at 1.5 percent, Mohan said speaking at the International Grains Council conference in London.

He also said India's is already the world's second largest single country producer of wheat.

IGC estimates India will produce 72 million tonnes of wheat in 2006, up from 68.6 million tonnes last year. Mohan points out that India's wheat output has already grown substantially from the 49.85 million tonnes produced in 1991.

"Mills are starved of wheat stocks," he added.

The Indian government is currently holding a large import tender to meet the country's needs.

IGC estimates India will import 4.0 million tonnes of wheat in 2006/07 (July-June), up from 1.0 million tonnes a year earlier. As recently as 2003/04, India sold 5.4 million tonnes on the world market.

Still Mohan says he believes the potential exists for India to increase production further. There is further land availability and much can be done to improve inputs and infrastructure, he said.