Wheat yield decreased by 3 per cent compared to last year

Wheat yield; India's wheat output is likely to fall three per cent to 106 million tonnes this year compared to the output of 109 million

By Ground Report 20 May 2022

New Update

Wheat yield decreased by 3 per cent compared to last year

India's wheat output is likely to fall three per cent to 106 million tonnes this year compared to the output of 109 million tonnes last year.

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare published the third advance estimate of the production of major agricultural crops for the year 2021-22. The country's foodgrain production is estimated at a record 314.51 million tonnes, which is 3.77 million tonnes higher than food grain production during 2020-21.

Production during 2021-22 is 23.80 million tonnes higher than the average food grain production of the previous five years (2016-17 to 2020-21). Record production of rice, corn, legumes, oilseeds, gram, rapeseed and mustard and sugar cane is estimated.

The Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, has said that this record production of so many crops is the result of the Central Government's pro-farmer policies under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as well as the hard and tireless work of the farmers and the diligence of the scientists.

In many wheat-producing states, this year's scorching heat and scorching sun have reduced yields by up to 20%, forcing the government to lower estimated harvest numbers this year after five consecutive years of record harvests.

In view of the low production of wheat in the country and its growing demand in the world, India banned the export of wheat on May 13.

The government said this decision was made to "meet food safety requirements" and the export of wheat will be done only at the request of the foreign government in special circumstances.

The output will still be nearly 5% lower from February's estimate of 111.32 million tonnes, Thursday's data showed.

Total production of Rice during 2021-22is estimated at a record 129.66 million tonnes. It is higher by 13.23 million tonnes than the last five years’ average production of 116.43 million tonnes.

Production of Wheatduring 2021-22is estimated at 106.41 million tonnes. It is higher by 2.53 million tonnes than the last five years’ average wheat production of 103.88 million tonnes.

Production of Nutri / Coarse Cereals estimated at 50.70 million tonnes, which is higher by 4.12 million tonnes than the last five years’ average production of 46.57 million tonnes.

Total Pulses production during 2021-22is estimated at a record 27.75 million tonnes which is higher by 3.92 million tonnes than the last five years’ average production of 23.82 million tonnes.

Rice production is estimated to increase by 4.2% to 129.66 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year (June-July) from 124.37 million tonnes in the previous year.

Despite the decline in wheat production, the country's total food grain production is estimated to be 314.51 million tonnes in 2021-22 by comparison, an all-time high, with 310.74 million tonnes harvested last year.

Until April of this year, the government has made the purchase of wheat the lowest in the last 15 years. In recent days, there has also been a jump in the price of flour, considering that the government changed the export of wheat from the 'free' category to the 'prohibited' category.

In the case of oilseeds, production is estimated to be a record 38.49 million tonnes in 2021-22 against 35.94 million tonnes in the previous year.

As far as cash crops are concerned, the ministry said cane production was set at a record 430.4 million tonnes this year from 405.39 million tonnes a year earlier.

However, cotton production is estimated to be less than 31.54 million bales of 170 kg each in 2021-22 compared to 35.24 million bales in the previous year.

Jute and mesta production is expected to be 10.22 million bales of 180 kg each in 2021-22 compared to 9.35 million bales in the previous year, according to the latest estimate from the ministry.

The ministry publishes three advance estimates of food grain production before the final at different stages of the harvest.

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