New Delhi: Unseasonal rain and hailstorm remain a matter of concern for the farmers as well as the government. However, it is a matter of relief that it has not affected the wheat crop much. According to the officials of the Food Corporation of India, wheat production will be more this year than last year. A report in The Times of India quoted an FCI official as saying, “Wheat production this year is likely to be 1-2 million tonnes less than expected due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms. However, it will be more this year than last year. This year the total wheat production will be about 5-6 MT more than last year. Right now the ban on wheat export is also in force, so there will be no shortage of food grains in the country.
The government has estimated that about 112 metric tonnes of wheat will be produced this year. A study commissioned by the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India and conducted by Agriwatch recently estimated the total yield at 103 metric tonnes, accounting for unseasonal rains. According to a Times of India report, Nalin Rawal, Director of Consulting and GIS Services at Agriwatch said that this year’s production will be more than last year’s (97.7 MT) and acreage has also increased. Though it was expected that wheat production this time would be more than 104 MT, the estimate had to be revised after surveying the impact of recent spells of unseasonal rains and hailstorms in major wheat-producing states, he said.
Wheat production will be more this year than last year
Participating in the release of the study, Subodh Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Food, said, “Though these estimates are different from the government’s estimates, two trends are common to both. The acreage has increased and this year there will be 5-5.5 metric tonnes of additional wheat.” Singh said that with the ongoing ban on the export of wheat, he is confident that the government will make adequate procurement of the winter crop to meet the statutory requirement and have surplus stock for market intervention in case of a rise in prices of the essential commodity. Will happen. For your information, let us tell you that due to Russia Ukraine war and other global reasons, due to the deepening crisis of food grains, especially wheat, the Government of India had banned its export so that domestic needs could be met first.
There will be no shortage of wheat in the country
Speaking at the event, Food Corporation of India CMD Ashok K Meena said that they have procured nearly 7 lakh tonnes of wheat so far as compared to barely 2 lakh tonnes in the same period last year. The government has set a target of procuring 34.2 metric tonnes of wheat from farmers on MSP. “It is important for all of us – the government and the private sector – to work together to ensure that wheat and flour prices remain stable despite global headwinds,” he said. We have support for higher production estimates as well.” Government officials said the recent rains have resulted in low brightness, which the government is addressing. He said that although it affects their commercialism, there is no drawback in it.
