"So long as there are no hailstorms or rains after the harvest next month, we can expect around one million tonnes more wheat output," Rai said Thursday on the sidelines of a press conference organised by the Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Wheat production in 2004-05 crop year was estimated at 73 million tones - a million tonnes more than last year.
Overall, India has estimated the food production in 2004-05 season to be 206.4 million tonnes, six million tonnes lower than last year mainly due to a dip in coarse grain production. The shortfall in the summer monsoon last year had impacted on the kharif (summer) rice production, which is expected to be made up by a higher rabi (winter) crop output taking the total to 87.7 million tonnes -- nearly one million tonnes more than last year.
"The heavier snowfall this year has also improved the prospects for fruits in the northern region, while other crops are expected to benefit from greater availability of water due to snow melting," said Rai. Rai is optimistic of a significant improvement in the output of most crops provided there are no heavy winds or rains once the harvest begins by middle of next month. The only crop that could be damaged by heavy rains at this time is mustard, which is ripening and is due for harvesting soon, the agriculture scientist said.
