Wheat quality, not output, hit by untimely rains

Unseasonal rains and hailstorms in key wheat-producing states have adversely impacted the crop quality but output is unlikely to be affected, said experts and traders.

The rains caused a lack of lustre in the new crop, although there has not been a significant loss of yield, said S Pramod Kumar, CEO, Sunil Agro. It is too early to comment on the new arrivals, he said.

An executive from a large multinational firm involved in the wheat trade said the wheat harvested until now has high moisture content.


The ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal expects an output of 112 million tonnes (MT) in the marketing year 2023-24 which is almost the same as the government's second advance estimate of 112.1 MT.

"There has been some amount of damage but there has also been some gain due to the rains," said Gyanendra Singh, director of ICAR-IIWBR, the apex body for wheat cultivation in the country.