Wheat production to fall by 3%, but grain output to hit new high | India News

NEW DELHI: India’s wheat production is projected to have declined nearly 3% to 106.8 million tonnes (MT) while the overall foodgrain production is estimated at record 315.7 MT in the 2021-22 crop year, higher by around 5 MT than the 2020-21 output.
Wheat production is estimated to have declined due to heatwave during its maturing phase that resulted in shrivelled grains in the north-western states of Punjab and Haryana.
Releasing the fourth advance estimates for the 2021-22 crop year (July-June), the agriculture ministry on Wednesday said a record production is also estimated of rice, maize, gram, pulses, oilseeds and sugarcane. The output of coarse cereals is, however, likely to marginally decline to 50.9 MT in 2021-22 from 51.3 MT in the previous year.
Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar attributed the record output of so many crops to the “farmer-friendly policies of the central government”, hard work of farmers, and diligence of the scientists.
The government during a crop year (July-June cycle) releases four estimates before the final one. The fourth estimate is generally closer to the final figure.
According to fourth estimates data, wheat production is pegged lower at 106.8 MT in the 2021-22 crop year as against 109.6 MT in the previous year. Rice production is, however, projected at record 130.3 MT in 2021-22 as against 124.3 MT in 2020-21. Pulses output is estimated to be at record 27.7 MT compared to 25.4 MT in the 2020-21 crop year.
In the non-foodgrain category, the oilseed production is projected to be record 37.69 MT in the 2021-22 crop year as against 35.94 MT in the previous year. Sugarcane production is estimated at record 431.8 MT compared to 405.3 MT in the previous year while cotton output is expected to drop to 31.2 million bales (170 kg each) from 35.2 million bales.