‘Wheat production loss likely to be 1-2 MT due to untimely rains’

New Delhi: Amid the reports of ‘huge’ shortfall in wheat yield due to unseasonal rains, the government on Friday said that untimely rains would not have any major impact on the production of grains as it is likely to be in the range of 1-2 million tonnes and the overall production will reach a record 112.2 million tonne in the current year on higher acreage and yield.

The government’s wheat procurement at minimum support price (MSP) is underway and about 7 lakh tonnes have been purchased so far, which is higher than 2 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

While ruling out the industry’s demand to lift the ban on the export of wheat products considering the bumper output, the Centre has also asked roller flour millers to directly procure from farmers to meet their requirements instead of seeking stock from state-owned FCI under Open Market Sale Scheme.

Releasing a private wheat crop estimate at an event organised by the Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India, Subodh Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary in the Food Ministry, said that there was a difference in wheat production projected by the government and industry last year.

However this year, there are some commonalities in crop estimates. The first common thing is that there is 3-5 per cent increase in wheat acreage, the second is production loss due to untimely rains and hailstorms would be about 1-2 million tonnes and third, there would be an additional 5-5.5 million tonne production over the last year, he said.

“The production would be 5-5.5 million tonnes higher than the last year’s government estimate,” he said, adding that the overall wheat production would be touching the record 112.2 million tonne set for 2022-23 crop year (July-June) and even surpass this

level.

Speaking on the occasion, Food Corporation of India Chairman and Managing Director Ashok K Meena said, “We are hopeful that a target of 342 lakh tonnes of procurement will be achieved this year.”

Wheat stock with FCI stood at 8.4 lakh tonne as on April 1 after taking into account the wheat sale under the OMSS, he said adding that the country has enough wheat to meet the food security demand and market intervention.

On the occasion, the Federation’s President Pramod Kumar requested the government to reconsider lifting the ban on the export of wheat products after the government’s procurement.