The Centre on Thursday lowered the country’s wheat production to 106.41 million tonnes (mt) for this year from the record 111.32 mt estimated in February; while cotton output, too, has been scaled down to 31.54 million bales (of 170 kg each) from the previous 34.06 million bales.

Releasing the third advance estimates of agriculture crops, the Government said the overall foodgrain production will be 314.51 mt during 2021-22 crop year (July-June) and though it is lower by 1.55 mt from what was estimated in February, the revised output is still 1.2 per cent more than a year before, officials said.

As production of rice, pulses and coarse cereals is up from the February estimates, the 5-mt drop in wheat production has not impacted the total foodgrain output much, officials said. Traders and experts are of the view that wheat production this year could be 95-98 mt after early onset of summer and high temperature in March, besides the heatwave, brought down the yield by 10-15 per cent in key growing States of Punjab and Haryana.

Cotton is another crop where the government has reduced the production estimate as the textile mills are facing a shortage of the fibre. Cotton production was already estimated lower in February from 35.25 million bales last year and it has seen a further pruning. The crop was affected by unseasonal rainfall in November-December last year.

Record output

Rice production has, however, increased to 129.66 mt from 127.93 mt, estimated three months back. Last year, the output was 124.37 mt. Along with rice, record production has been estimated for maize, pulses, oilseeds, gram, rapeseed, mustard and sugarcane. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: “this record production of so many crops is the result of the farmer-friendly policies of the government.”

Production of nutri/coarse cereals is estimated at 50.70 mt against 51.32 mt last year due to drop in acreage. 

Oilseeds production has been estimated at record 38.50 mt ( 35.95 mt). Total production of sugarcane during 2021-22 is seen at record 430.50 mt, up from 405.4 mt last year.