Wheat Crop Status and Production Estimates

18-Feb-2025 12:04 PM

Wheat Crop Status and Production Estimates
★ Wheat sowing in the current season has reached 32 million hectares, exceeding the five-year average sown area. Production is expected to increase by 3-4%.
★ In the past three years, wheat crops have suffered damage due to excessive heat before harvest and unseasonal rains in March.
★ Navneet Chitlangia, President of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India, stated that while the current supply period is lean, millers have inadequate stock before the new crop arrives in March.
★ Cool night temperatures and warm daytime temperatures are helping the crop grow well.
★ The federation estimated wheat production at 105-106 million tons for the 2023-24 crop year (July-June), with a 3-4% increase expected this year, ensuring sufficient supply throughout the year.
★ According to the Agriculture Ministry, wheat production in 2023-24 is estimated at 113.29 million tons, while the official estimate for 2024-25 is yet to be released.
★ The Food Corporation of India (FCI) currently holds 15.5 million tons of wheat, while the required buffer stock for April 1 is 7.46 million tons.
★ Under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), 1 million tons of wheat were sold through weekly e-auctions last month to flour millers and processors.
★ The government has planned to sell 2.5 million tons of wheat in the open market to control price spikes in the current fiscal year. 
With increased sowing, favorable weather conditions, and government wheat sale policies, wheat prices are expected to decline in the near future.
★ However, much will depend on weather patterns in the coming weeks