December 23, 2010

India expects record rabi wheat production

The Indian government said that wheat production will hit a record of 82 million tonnes in the current rabi season despite some damage to the crop due to unprecedented rains this year.

"We are targeting 82 million tonnes of wheat production for the current season. I admit there is some damage due to rains, but productivity has also increased at the same time. Hence, there will be no impact on overall production," Agriculture Secretary, P K Basu, said.

India, the second largest producer of wheat in the world after China, had produced a record 80.71 million tonnes of wheat in the 2009-10 crop year.

Wheat is a rabi crop and its sowing starts in November and harvesting begins in March. It represents nearly 71% of the total food grains production in the country.

Although there has been some damage to wheat crops in some areas of the country this year, the good monsoon has also offered hope of a better crop in the rain-fed areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Wheat cultivation may also get a boost from intense winter conditions and intermittent rains.

According to official estimates, the acreage under wheat cultivation was down marginally in the current year till December 10, at 20.71 million hectares, as compared with 21.29 million hectares last December.

The acreage sown with wheat in Punjab and Haryana, the two major growing states, is likely to be around 3.5 million hectares and 2.47 million hectares, respectively, this year. In the previous year, wheat was cultivated over 3.52 million hectares in Punjab and 2.49 million hectares in Haryana.

Punjab has projected production of 15.4 million tonnes of wheat in the ongoing crop year, as compared with 15.17 million tonnes in the previous year. Similarly, Haryana has pegged wheat production 10% higher this year at 11.46 million tonnes, compared to 10.5 million tonnes in the previous crop year.