Wheat Output in Commercial Sector May Fall Without Timely Action

27-Aug-2025 05:19 PM

Gwalior. The Union Agriculture Minister has also outlined the future challenges while mentioning the success achieved in the domestic production of wheat in recent years.

Addressing the National Consultation Seminar on Wheat and Barley in Gwalior, the Agriculture Minister said that challenges like climate change, water scarcity and rising temperature may increase in the future and if proper and timely precautionary measures are not taken to control its adverse effects, then the domestic production of wheat may be affected and may decline in the coming years.

Data from the Union Agriculture Ministry shows that there has been a good or normal increase in the domestic production and sowing area of ​​wheat during the last five years. Its sowing area increased from 311.25 lakh hectares in the 2020-21 season to 327.61 lakh hectares in the 2024-25 season and increased by 1.29 percent per annum.

Similarly, during the same period, wheat production also increased from 1095.86 lakh tonnes to 1175.07 lakh tonnes and it grew annually by 1.76 percent. But the average yield rate of wheat increased less.

In the 2020-21 season, this yield rate was 3521 kg per hectare, which could reach 3587 kg per hectare in 2024-25 with an annual growth rate of just 0.46 percent. The yield rate could not increase in accordance with the increase in sowing area and production.

According to official data, domestic production of wheat was 1095.86 lakh tonnes in the Rabi season of 2020-21, which after falling to 1077.42 lakh tonnes in 2021-22, jumped to 1175.07 lakh tonnes in the season of 22-23.

According to the Agriculture Minister, India was earlier largely dependent on wheat imports, but now there is no need for imports.

The government has imposed a hefty customs duty of 40 percent on its import. A few years ago, a huge amount of wheat was exported from India but later it was banned.