Wheat output will match last year’s output
February 11th, 2009 - 6:25 pm ICT by IANSKolkata, Feb 11 (IANS) Wheat output this fiscal would match last year’s level of 78.4 million tonnes following recent rains in northern India, a top official said here Wednesday.
“There has been improvement in the prospect of wheat crop yield after the rains, which has brought down the temperature. We now expect to match last year’s output,” said Department of Agriculture and Cooperation secretary T. Nand Kumar on the sidelines of a seminar on agri-business.
Sowing season of wheat has ended in India, the second biggest producer of the crop in the world.
Temperature in the country’s wheat-growing areas in January was two-three degrees above normal, which had created the possibility of lower yield this fiscal, Nand Kumar said.
However, parts of Rajasthan and Punjab received widespread to scattered rains during mid-January, brightening output prospects.
Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar are the major wheat-growing states.
The official said above normal temperature could impact overall rabi output particularly in those areas with poor or no irrigation facilities.
Rabi crop is the spring harvest and is also known as the “winter crop” in India and Pakistan.
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Tags: bihar, cooperation, department of agriculture, gujarat, india and pakistan, irrigation facilities, madhya pradesh, nand kumar, normal temperature, northern india, prospects, punjab, rajasthan, sidelines, spring harvest, three degrees, wheat crop, wheat output, winter crop, world temperature