Indian Wheat Output Hits Record High

India’s wheat production reached an all-time-high of 80.58 million tonnes in the 2008-09 crop year.

The production beat the previous record of 78.57 million tonnes achieved in the 2007-08 season.

According to the government’s fourth advance estimate released this week, the production of food grain, comprising rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses, increased by 3.1 million tonnes to 233.88 million tonnes in 2008-09 mainly due to the record output of wheat and rice.

Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar commented: “We were able to achieve the record food grain production 230.77 million tonnes in 2007-08. According to the latest fourth advance estimate for 2008-09, foodgrain production has (again) gone up to 233.87 million, which is highest since independence.”

The minister attributed the surge in production during these years to policy changes by the centre. “First time the UPA government had laid stress on it (favourable policy) and, therefore, one type of change in the country’s farm production scenario is being witnessed,” Pawar added.

Maize output at 19.29 million tonnes is slightly higher than the previous season’s production of 18.96 million tonnes.

The output of coarse cereals has fallen to 39.48 million tonnes in the 2008-09 season, compared with 40.76 million tonnes the previous year.