Winter showers to boost wheat output
Winter rains in northern India have raised hopes of high wheat production - over 74 million tonnes - this year, according to a leading wheat expert.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: Winter rains in northern India have raised hopes of high wheat production ��� over 74 million tonnes ��� this year, according to a leading wheat expert.
���It is a good news. Things have improved due to showers at wheat growing states in North India and if everything goes well we will achieve wheat production of over 74 million tonnes,��� B Mishra, director, Directorate of Wheat Research Project, said.
Mr Mishra discounted fears of any adverse impact due to the current rise in temperature and said February would be crucial for determining wheat prospects in Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, he said the period toward the end of February and beginning of March would have to be weather friendly for high wheat output in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.
���The temperatures should not rise beyond a level during February-end and March to ensure high wheat production,��� he said.
New wheat varieties such as ���DBW 16���, ���H1 1531��� and ���HD 2888��� introduced recently have brought in higher wheat productivity, Mr Mishra said, adding the seeds produced through ���multiplication��� of these varieties would be introduced for the next rabi season.
Mr Mishra said multiplication seeds are expected to bring in greater productivity. Some industry experts, however, fear wheat production could fall short of government���s estimates by over one million tonnes at 72.8 million tonnes in 2006-07. The wheat output in 2005-06 stood at 69.4 million tonnes, as per the government data.
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Crop estimates by the industry for the rabi harvest in 2007 were arrived at after deliberations on the acreage and studying the impact of weather, Vedprakash Sharma of Agriwatch, a magazine for the farm sector, said. Agriculture and food minister Sharad Pawar has estimated that wheat production might increase to 74 million tonnes next year on higher sowing.
Industry experts feel India may still need to import wheat due to expected increase in consumption. Mr Mishra, however, said arrival of new crops would provide adequate availability of wheat and there will not be any need to import additional wheat.
The government had decided to import 55 lakh tonnes of wheat to maintain its buffer stock, which got depleted due to shortfall in procurement. Of the total contract, a huge consignment has already arrived at the Indian ports.
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