Short crop hits wheat exports

Wheat exports from South Asian majors India and Pakistan have been disrupted by smaller crops.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), India exported of 3.5 million metric tonne (mmt) of wheat in this financial year up to February 10, 2004, down 34.6 per cent from estimated exports of 5..3mmt during the corresponding period of the preceding year. Pakistan exported 1.2mmt in 2003 according to year end data.

The fall was attributed to lower wheat production and shrinking stocks. The ambitious export plans of both countries in the last two years were derailed by smaller crops this year.

India's wheat production was 69.3mmt in this fiscal up to February 2004, compared with 71.8mmt in the corresponding period of the preceding year. Pakistan's production stagnated at 18.2mmt in the last two production seasons ending February of 2003 and 2004.

This led India to curtail exports. Pakistan had to resort to importing wheat.