High rabi wheat output likely

A rise in wheat acreage in a few states is likely to lead to high wheat production this rabi season. Last year, wheat acreage stood at about 29.9 million hectares. This rabi season, for which sowing has already begun in some parts of North India, the acreage may be even higher, primarily owing to an expected rise in acreage in Gujarat and the eastern states. This time, the market price of wheat is about 20 per cent higher than the minimum support price of Rs 1,285 a quintal, and this is luring farmers to the crop.

Indu Verma, director, Wheat Research Institute, Karnal, says, "Traditional wheat-growing regions like Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh may not have more area to be added under wheat, but eastern states such as Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Jharkhand may sow more wheat if they record zero tillage or timely planting.

Last year, there was a drop in Gujarat, and this may also recover this year." She added new varieties of wheat had been distributed in various states for seed replacement, which might ensure timely sowing and help improve acreage in states where sowing was limited.

Under the National Food Security Mission, the Union government has been encouraging timely plantation of wheat in eastern states.
 

BRIGHT PROSPECTS

• 29.9 mn hectares: Wheat sowing last year
• 93.9 mt: Wheat output in the 2011-12 rabi season
• 85.93 mt: Wheat output in the 2010-11 rabi season
• 3.1 tonnes per hectare: Wheat productivity in India in 2011-12
• 3 tonnes per hectare: Global wheat productivity in 2011-12

In the rabi season of 2011-12, the country recorded a record wheat crop of 93.9 million tonnes (mt), 7.5 per cent higher than the previous record of 85.93 mt in the 2010-11 rabi season. The rise was attributed to the adoption of modern technology by farmers, under the National Food Security Mission.

In 2011-12, India registered average wheat productivity of 3.1 tonnes per hectare, against the global average of three tonnes per hectare. This season, wheat sowing may last till November 20 in different parts of the country. Jagtar Singh Mehma, a Punjab-based farmer, said wheat sowing had commenced and would gather pace in a week. He added farmers in Punjab did not want to diversify from wheat, as the market mechanism for wheat was efficient, while the scenario for other crops was uncertain.