'Unseasonal rain mixed bag for wheat,may not hit total output'

Unseasonal rain have damaged wheat crop grown in some parts, but the overall production is unlikely to fall as low temperature is good for late sown varieties in some other parts of the country, a government research body said today.
In case of mustard also rain has benefited late sown crop and in major growing state of Rajasthan significant damage is not seen, edible industry body SEA said.
"Although there is 5-7 per cent damage for sure to wheat crop due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm, there is nothing to worry as of now as the current rain and cool temperature are good for late sown crops," the Directorate of Wheat Research head Indu Sharma told PTI.

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh is expected to make a statement in Parliament tomorrow on the impact of rain on rabi crops, including wheat, sources said.
Of the total sown area of about 28 million hectares, about 15 per cent is sown late. "The crops which have flatten due to rain will revive. And 5-7 per cent damage will be compensated (in the overall production)," Sharma said.
When specifically asked if production will come down due to unseasonal rain, she said: "It is too early to say. We cannot be negative because we faced a similar situation in early 1980s, when it rained up to May and there was no fall in wheat production. So, we hold on to our estimate of record production this year."

Last week, Agriculture Secretary Siraj Hussian had said that the country's wheat output this year could surpass the previous record of 95.85 million tonnes achieved in 2013-14.

Edible oil industry body Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) B V Mehta said: "There is nothing to panic. The mustard crop in Rajasthan, which have already been harvested and reached mandis will not be impacted.
"Some crops which are lying on field may have been damaged due to unseasonal rains. But rains will help the crops in Ganganagar area of Rajasthan where the crop has been sown late".
The industry will send a team in Rajasthan to assess the impact of rainfall, he added.

Mustard crop is expected to decline to about 57 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 from 65 lakh tonnes in the previous year due to fall in acreage by 6.5 lakh hectares.