NEW DELHI: The country’s wheat output may once again touch the peak level of 76 million tonnes this year. Reports from key wheat states, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, are positive vis-à-vis conducive weather although the temperatures in Haryana were much higher at about 29 degree Celsius.
Farm secretary PK Mishra said the 1999-2000 peak level in wheat production would be achieved this year, too, going by final area coverage inputs received by the core ministry from states. He was speaking at the Kharif Campaign, which began here on Tuesday.
Although the prospects were good thus far, the estimate could only be reached if the weather remained conducive up to mid-March. Wheat needs a temperature of at least 20 degree Celsius in this period, with no marked fluctuations in temperature.
Mr Mishra said in view of this, his ministry was carefully monitoring temperatures in key wheat regions. The anxiety is understandable, considering the Centre’s inability to procure sufficient wheat last year from mandis, a development that led to massive high priced imports.
The Centre is currently facing a wheat supply crunch for the public distribution system (PDS) and welfare programme. The food ministry has told states such as West Bengal that wheat will not be supplied to above poverty line consumers through PDS until March.
Meanwhile, at the conference itself, the Centre let slip its anxiety over the inability of states to make the best use of newly launched schemes, National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). To what extent they actually succeeded will be known only after their implementation for a number of crop seasons.
Mr Mishra said intermediate parameters were already showing improvement but the farm ministry, significantly, has been unable to identify a base year (for achievement of targets under the NFSM) in which wheat output was high, such as 1999-2000.
Under NFSM, quality wheat seed has been distributed in Bihar and Rajasthan and that of pulses in Chhattisgarh. So far, Mr Mishra said, Rs 360 crore had been released for NFSM and Rs 986 crore for RKVY.
Principal adviser Dr SM Jharwal and National Rainfed Area Authority CEO JS Sarma also addressed the conference.
Besides state agriculture secretaries and agriculture production commissioners, vice-chancellors of state universities, heads of research institutions under Indian Council of Agricultural Research and officials from various departments of central government are participating in the two-day conference.
Farm secretary PK Mishra said the 1999-2000 peak level in wheat production would be achieved this year, too, going by final area coverage inputs received by the core ministry from states. He was speaking at the Kharif Campaign, which began here on Tuesday.
Although the prospects were good thus far, the estimate could only be reached if the weather remained conducive up to mid-March. Wheat needs a temperature of at least 20 degree Celsius in this period, with no marked fluctuations in temperature.
Mr Mishra said in view of this, his ministry was carefully monitoring temperatures in key wheat regions. The anxiety is understandable, considering the Centre’s inability to procure sufficient wheat last year from mandis, a development that led to massive high priced imports.
The Centre is currently facing a wheat supply crunch for the public distribution system (PDS) and welfare programme. The food ministry has told states such as West Bengal that wheat will not be supplied to above poverty line consumers through PDS until March.
Meanwhile, at the conference itself, the Centre let slip its anxiety over the inability of states to make the best use of newly launched schemes, National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). To what extent they actually succeeded will be known only after their implementation for a number of crop seasons.
Mr Mishra said intermediate parameters were already showing improvement but the farm ministry, significantly, has been unable to identify a base year (for achievement of targets under the NFSM) in which wheat output was high, such as 1999-2000.
Under NFSM, quality wheat seed has been distributed in Bihar and Rajasthan and that of pulses in Chhattisgarh. So far, Mr Mishra said, Rs 360 crore had been released for NFSM and Rs 986 crore for RKVY.
Principal adviser Dr SM Jharwal and National Rainfed Area Authority CEO JS Sarma also addressed the conference.
Besides state agriculture secretaries and agriculture production commissioners, vice-chancellors of state universities, heads of research institutions under Indian Council of Agricultural Research and officials from various departments of central government are participating in the two-day conference.
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