December 2, 2005

India expects bumper 2005-06 wheat production

India's farm ministry said the country's 2005-06 wheat production is expected to exceed the target of 76 million tonnes, if favourable weather and sowing conditions continued.

The country's wheat output reached 72 million tonnes last year, as poor monsoon rains affected productivity. This led to expectations that India might import wheat for the first time in six years, but the government has ruled out such a possibility so far.

According to the farm ministry, total sowing area nationwide recently reached 10.1 million hectares, up from 7.9 million hectares during the same period the previous year.

The ministry added that a rise in sowing area by 1.3 million, 1.9 million and 200,000 hectares in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan respectively, accounted for the increase in overall sowing area.