Wheat Production: India is the second largest consumer of wheat in the world. China is at number one in this matter. If we talk about wheat cultivation, then Russia is at the first place, America is at the second place and China is at the third place. India is at number four in terms of wheat cultivation. If we look at wheat cultivation in India, then the maximum wheat cultivation is done in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Then comes Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. If we talk about last year, about 110 million tonnes of wheat was produced in India. What is the condition of this year’s production? How expensive can wheat be this time? Let’s find out.
How much can be the yield this year?
If we look at the wheat production in India, it has increased a lot in the last few years. But this year the wheat crop has been affected a lot due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms. But this time also the wheat production in Punjab is expected to be very good. In Punjab, there can be 20 to 25 quintals of wheat per acre every year. If we talk about the total production of this year, it is estimated to be 11 crore 21.8 lakh tonnes.
This year the average wheat yield is around 20 to 24 quintals per acre. Which is more than last year. If we talk about last year, it was limited to 18 quintals per acre. Although wheat yield has been affected in some states due to rain and weather effects. But despite that, there may be a good yield of wheat this time in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
How expensive can wheat become?
The central government has fixed the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat at Rs 2,275 per quintal in the financial year 2024-25. If we compare it with last year, it is Rs 150 more. But apart from the government price, the price of wheat in the outside market is currently around Rs 2,380 per quintal.
This is the reason why farmers prefer to sell wheat in the open market instead of government warehouses. Due to this, the government’s procurement is also getting affected. Due to this, the government’s wheat stock has not been completed. If we talk about the open market of April 1 this year, the stock has gone to the lowest level in the last 16 years.
In the month of April, the retail inflation rate of wheat has increased to 6.02%. Whereas in March, this rate was 4.74%. According to the data of the Consumer Department, the retail price of wheat is Rs 28 per kilogram. Which has remained the same for the last several months. That is to say, the prices are stable at the moment. But the effects of their increase are definitely visible.