Wheat production may cross 113 million tonnes: Skymet

According to estimates released by private weather forecasting firm Skymet, during the current rabi season, wheat production could be at a record 113.66 million tonnes (mt), nearly 10 per cent more than the 103.6 mt output in the previous year, whereas, gram output could be 8 per cent higher at 10.74 mt.

The estimate for wheat production of Skymet are much higher than the 106 mt projected by the second advance estimates of the Agriculture Ministry.

Although, there will be marginal increase of 2.7 per cent at 9.5 mt in the production of mustard and rapeseed as against 9.25 mt in the previous rabi season.

The Skymet report also added that due to the nationwide lockdown, agricultural activities and supply chain were disrupted. Harvesting activities were disturbed due to the non-availability of migrant labour.

The report added, “Though the government is trying to normalise the situation, even till date the situation is dismal as farmers and their produce are unable to reach the market due to the lockdown”. As a result, producer is struggling to sell the produce at appropriate prices, it added.

According to Skymet, the worst-hit are horticulture farmers. There have been disruptions in supply chains because of transportation problems and other issues. Farmers are not able to bring the produce to mandis. Those who have storage facilities have stored the produce while the rest have sold it at whatever prices they could get.

Consumers ended up paying more, although the prices declined for vegetables and other crops. Farmers were also affected badly by the temporary closing down of restaurants and eateries.

“The future also looks bleak as the supply of agri-inputs for the upcoming kharif season – especially seeds may get affected by this lockdown. Unavailability of seeds and other agricultural input may lead to the delayed sowing or no sowing at all,” the report said.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture data, the report said wheat sowing was up by 12.3 per cent this year over last year, with most of increase in acreage coming from Maharashtra (89 per cent more), Gujarat (73 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (nearly 33 per cent) and Rajasthan (17 per cent). Skymet said it expected the national average yield to be 3.38 tonnes per hectare.

Likewise, there is 11.5 per cent increase in the area of gram cultivation which is on account higher acreages reported from Maharashtra (58 per cent more) and Rajasthan (42 per cent), which adequately compensated for the 20 per cent drop in gram area in Madhya Pradesh.

The report added that the area under mustard and rapeseed was more or less the same this year, even though Rajasthan and Haryana planted marginal more than last year, but there was a nearly 10 per cent drop in mustard cultivation in Madhya Pradesh.