Wheat output likely to exceed last year's record 117.94 mn tonne: Agriculture Minister

The country's wheat production is expected to surpass last year's record of 117.94 million tonne due to higher acreage and favourable crop conditions, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday.

"Currently, wheat crop is in good condition. There is no damage. By and large, production will be better than last year," Chouhan told PTI on the sidelines of an Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) event.

M L Jat, Director General of ICAR, said wheat acreage has crossed 32 million hectares and crop conditions remain strong.


"As of now the crop condition is very good. If everything goes well, we will touch 120 million tonnes," Jat said, attributing the positive outlook to timely and early sowing.

Wheat has been sown in a record area of 33.41 million hectares as of January 2 in the 2025-26 rabi season, compared with 32.80 million hectares a year earlier, the agriculture ministry data showed.

More than 73 per cent of the sown area has been planted with climate-resilient and bio-fortified seed varieties designed to withstand weather variations, the data showed.

Wheat is the main rabi or winter crop. Sowing has been completed and harvesting will begin in March. India is the world's second largest wheat- producing nation after China.