Untimely rains cause widespread damage.
With untimely rains causing widespread damage to wheat crop in northern India, Punjab — the major contributor of wheat to the central pool —has now scaled down its estimates of wheat output by 500,000 tonne to 15 million tonne this season.
“I do not think the wheat production in the state (Punjab) will cross even the 15- million tonne mark because of heavy damage caused due to rains and hailstorm,” a senior official of the Punjab Agriculture Department told PTI here.
Punjab had earlier estimated wheat production at 15.5 million tonne this rabi season against last year’s output of 15.7 million tonne. Besides, the total crop arrival during the rabi season is also expected to be lower at 10 million tonne against the last year's arrival of 10.5 million tonne, a development that could also affect the Centre’s procurement target from the state, wheat experts said.
Unexpected rains during the past one week have hit the wheat crop badly across several parts of the region.
