New Delhi: India will see record wheat output this year on higher acreage and conducive weather, the chief of a top government research institute said. Production of the grain in the current crop year 2019-20 that runs from July to June will touch an all-time high of 105 million tonnes, said Gyanendra Pratap Singh of the Directorate of Wheat Research at Karnal, Haryana. Bumper production in the rabi season should ease pressure on household budgets and boost consumer spending.
“The cold wave conditions along with winter rains is very beneficial for the wheat crop. It will help in increasing tillering (an increase in the number of flower bearing branches), which will lead to higher yield,” said Singh. Wheat acreage has increased 26.27 per cent to 29.7 million hectare this year, and that will lead to record output, Singh said. “It will be the fourth consecutive year of record production, and will be about 3 per cent increase in production over the previous year,” he said. The increase in acreage was largely in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The moisture level this year in these states was good compared to the last 4-5 years, ensuring more water was available for irrigation for increased planting.
About 90 per cent of the sowing is complete this crop season, said agricultural scientists.
No yellow rust has been reported across the wheat-sown area.
Companies procuring wheat for production of maida, flour, dahlia, rawa and suji said that they expected an overall increase of 10-12 per cent in acreage.
Source: Economic Times
