Wheat production may cross record 100 MT in 2018-19

The country's wheat production might cross 100 million tonne, an all-time high level, in the current rabi season, helped by good weather conditions during winter, a senior government official Thursday said. Wheat production stood at record 99.70 million tonne in the 2017-18 crop year (July-June).

"Wheat production is estimated to cross 100 million tonne based on the feedback we are getting from state governments," Agriculture Commissioner S K Malhotra told reporters here.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the National Conference on Agriculture Zaid/Summer Campaign 2019.

Malhotra said weather condition has been conducive this winter for wheat, a major rabi crop.

The Centre will soon announce production estimates for rabi crops of 2018-19.

Wheat output is expected to rise despite fall of around 8 lakh hectare in wheat area to 296 lakh hectare so far this rabi season.

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The government had increased the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat to Rs 1,840 per quintal from Rs 1,735 per quintal, as part of its decision to fix the support price at least 1.5 times of the production cost.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains, and state agencies buy wheat from farmers at MSP and the grain is distributed at Rs 2 per kg to over 80 crore people under the National Food Security Act.