UN report shows record cereal output in India, China

India and China have harvested record cereal crops this year with most of the four per cent increase...

India and China have harvested record cereal crops this year with most of the four per cent increase in wheat output coming from India, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in its report.

The report shows the total paddy output in Asia this year was 580 million tonnes, while maize production was at 198.1 million tonnes, both higher than the previous year.

The aggregate wheat output is estimated at 207 million tonnes. The FAO also reported favourable weather conditions so far for winter crops in major wheat producing Asian countries. Also, the cultivable area under wheat is expected to rise in response to high prices.

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Despite a rosy picture of cereal production in Asia, the report speaks of continuing insecurity in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, North Korea, Timor-Leste and Mongolia, among others.

In India, the agency forecasts paddy production for this year at about 140 million tonnes, close to last year’s harvest, while maize output is estimated at 15.5 million tonnes, some 2 million tonnes above last year. The country’s wheat output is pegged at 75 million tonnes, nearly 5 million tonnes more than 2006.

As a result of the good yield, the country’s wheat imports in 2007-08 (April/March) has been revised down from 3 million tonnes to 2 million tonnes. India imported nearly 6.7 million tonnes of wheat in 2006-07.

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