The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) forecasts India’s cereal output to remain virtually unchanged this year despite the favourable climatic conditions.
According to the latest report by FAO which monitors crop prospects across the world, India’s cereal may rise marginally by 0.15 per cent to set a record at 261.3 million tonnes in 2008 as compared to 260.9 million tonnes in the previous year.
Farmers harvested better paddy crop. Hence, the country’s rice output set a new record at 147 million tonnes this year compared to 144.6 million tonnes during the corresponding period last year. Paddy’s planting commences in June which stretches upto August while harvesting for the early crop begins in October.
Similarly, wheat crop size in 2008 is forecast to rise to 78 million tonnes this year from 75.8 million tonnes last year. Wheat crop planting in India starts immediately after harvesting early paddy and sugarcane crops but continues till December-end for its harvesting by February-end — early March.
| MARGINAL RISE Cereal output: A snapshot (in million tonnes) | |||
| 2006 | 2007E | 2008F | |
| Wheat | 69.4 | 75.8 | 78.0 |
| Coarse grains | 32.5 | 40.5 | 36.3 |
| Rice (paddy) | 140.0 | 144.6 | 147.0 |
| Total | 241.9 | 260.9 | 261.3 |
| E = estimated , F=forecast | |||
Planting of the 2009 winter wheat crops is underway in the major wheat producing states under favourable conditions and a large area has been reported in response to the continuing relatively high prices and government support policies. In India, the government increased the minimum support price for wheat to a record Rs 1,000 per quintal. Therefore, farmers dedicated the maximum possible area to the politically sensitive cash crop.
As a result, wheat output this year is likely to set a fresh record on higher acreage and adequate moisture in the field, FAO believes. However, as of the late November, the area sown was still less than at the corresponding time last year due to the delayed sowing in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar as a result of the excessive soil moisture.
