Wheat output may increase by 2.8 MT this year

After harvesting a record 78.4 million tonnes (MT) wheat last year, India may produce additional 2.8 MT of the grain in 2008-09 if farmers increase the area by a million hectare, as targeted by the government, an agriculture expert said.

“From additional one million hectare area, about 2.8 MT of wheat could be grown based on last year yield level, provided weather remains conducive for planting,” the Director of Karnal-based Wheat Research Institute, B Mishra, said.

Mishra, however, said, “I am not sure whether wheat area would increase by one million hectare. It will be known only after sowing.”

The average wheat productivity at national level is about 2.8 tonnes per hectare as per the fourth advance estimates for 2007-08.

Last week, the Agriculture Secretary had said the government targets to increase the wheat acreage by one million hectares in 2008-09. The government has set a wheat production target at 78.5 MT, up by 100,000 tonnes from the previous year.

Experts said the government seems to be relying on the average productivity in the last five years because the production target for 2008-09 is very ‘conservative’ considering the planned increase in wheat area by one million hectare.

Agriculture expert Devender Sharma also noted that “the wheat acreage can maximum increase by one lakh hectare this year”. He further said that the increase in wheat acreage by one million hectare is an “over-ambitious” target.

Mishra, however, said that farmers may increase area because of the high minimum support price (MSP) for wheat. The government is likely to announce the MSP of wheat for this rabi season later this month.

He noted that wheat sowing can begin early this year from October 20 as temperature is conducive though normal planting starts from November onwards.