Country’s wheat output in the New Year could be lower than expected due to poor weather conditions but bulging stocks will prevent any tightness in supplies. It was too early to make any firm estimates since the crop is just germinating in places where sowing has been completed. Even if output falls, there is no threat to food security as country has a huge buffer of wheat and is looking at various ways, including exports, to cut stocks. Country gets the bulk of its wheat output in the months of March and April from the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Wheat is also grown in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Overall wheat production in ‘00-01 to be harvested in the ensuing summer season should be around 70m tonnes compared with 74m tonnes in the previous year. The output fall would be mainly due to the lower number of areas under wheat planting in Punjab and the effect of drought on plantings in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Both Punjab and Haryana were irrigated and a drop in acreage by a few thousand hectares was not a matter of concern. Still there is a lot of time for winter to end. Country’s foodgrains stocks stood at 44.5m tonnes at the start of November. Wheat accounted for 26.5m tonnes of total grain stocks and rice 18m tonnes. We’re facing a problem of plenty in foodgrains, there is no problem on that front. |
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