Govt sees 3% decline in wheat output in 2021-22

NEW DELHI: The country’s wheat output is estimated to drop by about 3 per cent to 106.41 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year (July-june) from the previous year, agriculture ministry said in its latest estimate released on Thursday.

The production is, however, lower by 4.61 per cent from the earlier estimate of 111.32 million tonnes projected for the 2021-22 crop year, the data showed. Wheat production stood at a record 109.59 million tonnes in the 2020-21 crop year.

Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja had last week attributed the the fall in wheat production to lower crop yields, mainly in Punjab and Haryana due to the heat wave and also indicated wheat production could decline to 105-106 million tonnes this year.

According to the third advance estimate of foodgrains production released by the ministry, besides wheat, a marginal fall is expected in cotton and coarse cereals output. In case of other foodgrains and cash crops, the production figures are higher than the previous year.

Rice production is estimated to increase to 129.66 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year when compared with 124.37 million tonnes in 2020-21.