Planting of wheat seeds that can challenge the changing weather increased this year

- Occasional

- There is a possibility that the government will buy 350 lakh tonnes of wheat

- The central government has sold around 90 lakh tonnes of wheat from its own stock in the last eight months

Trends in the wheat market in the country have seen a rapid reversal. While the footsteps of the new season of wheat are being heard in the market, the grain market players are eyeing the new crop. Grain market experts are showing the possibility of the new crop of wheat in the country reaching the target of 1140 lakh tonnes near the beginning of the new season. According to the estimate released by the government, the wheat crop is likely to be 1120 to 1121 lakh tonnes.

Sowing of wheat seeds that can withstand the changing weather has increased this year and the weather conditions have also been favorable overall. However, recently there were reports of unseasonal rains in some wheat producing areas of Madhya Pradesh adversely affecting the wheat crop in these areas.

According to the sources of Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, there has been a significant increase in the planting of wheat seeds that can meet the challenges of changing weather this year. In the previous wheat season of 2022-23, the wheat crop in the country was 1105 to 1106 lakh tonnes and this year in 2023-24 the government has set a target of 1120 lakh tonnes of wheat crop.

Given the current circumstances, the hope that this target will be achieved is being shown in the grain market. When the month of March has started, agricultural experts said that the new crop of wheat also depends on how the temperature remains in the weather after March 15.

The area under wheat cultivation in the country this year is about 341 to 342 lakh hectares. Which happened last year in 339 to 340 lakh kits. In Uttar Pradesh, the area under wheat cultivation has increased from 102 to 103 lakh hectares this year.

While in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, the area under wheat cultivation has decreased slightly. Meanwhile, wheat cultivation in Bihar, Punjab and Haryana has remained almost unchanged this year as compared to last year. However, grain market informants were saying that there has been an increase of approximately 75 to 80 thousand hectares in the area under wheat cultivation in Madhya Pradesh. However, the grain market is keeping an eye on the weather in various wheat producing states of the country over the next few weeks. Unseasonal rains in Madhya Pradesh recently caused concern.

Meanwhile, the central government has sold around 90 lakh tonnes of wheat from its stock in the last eight months. To maintain the price of wheat in the grain market at a reasonable level, the government has been releasing wheat supply to the market and flour millers.

Wheat e-auctions were seen to be held in Chashwar. However, now the informants were showing the possibility of a break in wheat supply through such auctions. Speculations have been heard in the grain market that such e-auctions will be stopped in an environment where the new income of wheat increases in the country and the government purchase of new wheat starts. However, as the Lok Sabha elections are nearing, the experts were predicting that the government will keep a close eye on the grain market. Meanwhile, the government has set a wheat procurement target of around 350 lakh tonnes this year.

The government has started selling 10 kg of India flour at Rs.27.50 per kg which is likely to be maintained. The government has set a target to sell about 15 lakh tonnes of such flour in the next 4 to 5 months. The government started the sale of such flour from the month of November.

The government has also set a target to sell around 15 lakh tonnes of Indian rice through NAFED and NCCF. Informants were showing that the purchase of new wheat by the government is starting in Uttar Pradesh at the first stage and further on such purchase will accelerate in other states as well.