September 11, 2012

India targets to keep 2012-13 wheat crop at 2011-12 level

After late monsoon rains brightened prospects for the crop, India aims to attain output for the 2012-13 main winter-sown wheat crop at a level near last year's record.

"It should be more than 90 million tonnes," Veena Sharma, the Karnal-based director of India's Directorate of Wheat Research, the main government body that oversees the cultivation of wheat in the country.

However, it would be difficult to surpass last year's record of 93.9 million tonnes, she said.

Following two successive bumper crops, India has slowly started to become a major wheat exporter as bad weather has hit wheat output in other major producing countries.