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Wheat output will be a record 111 million tonnes this year, maintained ICAR- Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) Director G P Singh, amidst concerns that the recent variation in climate is seen to impact yields in parts of key producing States such as Punjab and Haryana.
It was reported that the sudden increase in temperatures in recent weeks had led to shrivelling of the grains in some parts of Punjab and Haryana, which is seen impacting the yields.
“The crop where it was timely sown, I don’t find any decline in yields. Only in those areas where there was a late sowing, you might find some 2 to 4 per cent yield decline. And such late sown area is limited in Punjab and Haryana,” Singh said.
The director of Karnal-based IIWHR said the sudden temperature rise post Holi, during the second fortnight of March was definitely unexpected. “By that time, the timely sown crop was already in the physiological maturity state. Whatever heat came, it dried up the crop, may be seven days earlier or so,” he added.
Decline in output unlikely
However, Singh maintained that there is unlikely to be any decline in overall wheat output. “In Madhya Pradesh, I have visited several places and the crop in the State is outstanding. It was harvested in March, before this heat condition came. MP being the second important State, I don’t think we are going to get anything less than 111-112 million tonnes we have predicted. There will be no decline in the output and I think it will be a record this year,” the IIWBR director said.
In the second advance estimates released in February, the Agriculture Ministry had predicted a record wheat output of 111.32 million tonnes for the 2021-22 season. The third advance estimates are likely to be released soon.
Wheat production during 2020-21 stood at 109.59 million tonnes and the government had set a target of 110 million tonnes for the current season.
Wheat was planted in about 343.2 lakh hectares during the 2021-22 rabi season, marginally lower than the previous year’s 346.09 lakh hectares, but higher than the normal area of 303.06 lakh hectares. Madhya Pradesh and Bihar had reported an increase in area this year, while UP, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have registered a decline in acreages.
As the Russia-Ukraine crisis takes a toll on the global grains market, the Indian wheat has found many takers overseas and the government has been encouraging the exports of the cereal.
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