Record wheat harvest ahead this rabi season,says agri expert

India annually consumes 76 million tonnes of wheat and estimated production will exceed the requirement.

“It is expected to be a big relief for the government as the kharif production was much below the requirement due to poor monsoon and drought in several parts of the country. Bumper wheat production might help in stabilising the foodgrain prices,” he said.

Giving credit to good favourable weather conditions,he said that a prolonged winter with low temperature prevailing in the wheat-producing belt of the country would lead to a ‘memorable’ wheat harvest in the country.

He said that low temperature coupled with good sunshine during appropriate period would prolong the maturity period and even one day increase in maturity period meant increase in wheat production by at least 40 kilogram per hectare.

“We had a very good winter during January and February favourable for wheat crop,” he said.

Nagarajan said that so far the weather had been totally favourable for wheat crop. Even the winter rain in the wheat belt occurred at very appropriate time beneficial for the crop.

“If no hailstorm or heavy rains take place till April 15,we are heading for a record and historic wheat production in the country,” he said.

According to Nagarajan,wheat production is expected to go up to million tonnes by 2020 to meet the increasing demand.

He said the procurement by the government would be less than the last year which was about 24 million tonnes. The country already has a buffer stock of 19 million tonnes stored in its godowns. The Centre has the policy of buying the wheat directly from farmers to ensure that prices don’t go below a minimum level.

Asked if, wheat prices would come down or go up after the new harvest,Nagarajan said that there was no hope of increase in prices of wheat with bumper harvest of the crop. However,he said that readjustment in its prices might happen if the prices of fuel were readjusted or increased.

Asked if the country could export wheat with its bumper production,he said India had not permitted its export though there was international pressure to lift the ban on wheat export.

Regarding further research in increasing wheat production,SS Singh,director at the Directorate of Wheat Research,Haryana,said that a research in hybrid wheat termed as “8 tonnes research’’ was on to take the wheat productivity to eight tonnes per hectare.

“We have already achieved 6 tonnes per hectare productivity and we hope to take it to 8 tonnes per hectares for which the research is on,” he said.

Singh said that though average wheat production per hectare in Punjab and Haryana,main wheat growing areas,was 4.72 tonnes but there were several farmers in Punjab and Haryana who had achieved a productivity of 6 tonnes per hectares by using hybrid wheat technology developed by his institute.