December 8, 2006

India wheat output may touch 75 million tonnes in 2007: USDA

India could increase wheat production by 8 percent to 75 million tonnes by next year due to an increase in crop acreage, according to USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report.

The area under coverage for wheat, whose price is a cause for concern battling inflationary pressures, is expected to increase by about one million hectare from last year's level.

Assuming an average yield of 2.7 tonnes per hectare, the 2007 wheat production could reach around 75 million tonnes, says the USDA report.

The projection for wheat output assumes significance as India's foodgrain production stood at about 69.5 million tonnes during 2006.

The department expects final wheat acreage to register an increase of around 1 million hectares over last year's level and to reach around 27.6 million hectares.

In recent years, wheat yield in India stood at 2.7 tonnes per hectare with the highest yield at 2.78 tonnes per hectare during 2000.

However, the department indicates that the wheat output would be around 72 million tonnes, if the average yield remains at last year's level of 2.6 tonne per hectare.

A clearer picture on wheat production would emerge in February 2007 by when the impact of temperature fluctuations during the crucial grain filling stage would be known, says the agency report.