Wheat sowing may drop by 1.6 per cent to 221.7 million hectares globally in the 2008-09 season due to falling prices and high input costs, while planting in India, the world’s second-largest producer, is expected to rise because of good prices.
“Falling wheat prices and high input costs will affect plantings in major producing countries,” London-based International Grain Council said in its latest Grain Market Report. The global wheat production estimates, however, remained at 683 million tonnes.
“Higher production in the European Union is being offset by further reductions in Australia, where late rains are disrupting harvesting,” the IGC said. Meanwhile in India, wheat sowing is in full swing as farmers are happy with the current rate of government-assured Rs 1,000 a quintal, which is the minimum support price (MSP).
The target of raising the wheat area by one million hectares will be achieved, as more acreage is expected in the non-traditional wheat-growing states, Agriculture Secretary T Nanda Kumar said on Thursday. Wheat acreage last year was around 28 million hectares.
