MP expects more wheat from less acreage

This year, acreage has dropped to 5.8 mn hectares from 6 mn, but state eyes output of 18.5 mn tonnes against 17.4 mn tonnes last year

Despite a fall in the acreage in wheat, the Madhya Pradesh government has expected an increased output.

Last year, the state had posted an acreage of six million hectares while production stood at 17.4 million tonnes. This year the acreage has gone down to 5.8 million hectares but state authorities are expecting a yield of 18.5 million tonnes against 20 million tonnes expected earlier before the recent hailstorms.

"A meeting chaired by state chief minister for preparation of wheat procurement, which would begin from 25th of this month discussed the procurement and productions status. Accordingly, the state had wheat acreage of 4.5 million hectares during the 2010-11 Rabi season, which rose to 4.6 million hectares in 2011-12, with production of 8.9 million tonnes and 9.2 million tonnes respectively. However, there is a sudden surge in wheat production from 2012-13 when the acreage went up further to 5.2 million hectares and production reached 14.5 million tonnes," a well-placed government source told Business Standard.

The state has emerged among the top three wheat growing destinations of India since. During Rabi season 2013-14, the state posted wheat production of 16.5 million tonnes from an acreage of 5.6 million hectares. The production further increased to 17.4 million tonnes during the following seasons from an acreage of 60 million hectares.

"The meeting also expected to procure more wheat this season, at 56 percent of the total what production. Although the Central government had not exposed funds for credit limit to state procurement agencies, the state has targeted to procure 10 million tonnes of wheat this season. Last year the state had procured 41 percent of wheat which the state had produced against procurement of 7.2 million tonnes," the source said.

Madhya Pradesh grows some of the finest varieties of wheat like Sharbati, which retains luster for a longer period and has high protein contents. Similarly, another variety, Durum is also exported to various countries which find it most suitable for pasta manufacturing at industrial level.