Record wheat harvest in India paves way for exports

India’s wheat harvest, threatened by the second hottest February in more than a century, is set to be a record this year, thanks to favourable weather at the crucial grain-filling stage, boosting yields, said Ratan Tiwari, director of the state-run Indian Wheat and Barley Research Institute. He said the absence of significant hail or disease damage and the use of climate-resistant, high-yielding varieties had helped boost output.

The world’s second-largest wheat producer is expecting a record harvest thanks to good weather conditions. The positive outlook is prompting flour mills to ask the government to lift a ban on wheat exports. The president of the Flour Mills Federation of India, Navneet Chitlangiya, said the association had earlier demanded a reduction in import duty due to concerns over the crop, but that had changed.

“Government warehouses are full and private traders have adequate stocks,” Chitlangiya said, adding that the country’s wheat harvest was nearing completion. He urged the government to allow exports of wheat products.

The US Department of Agriculture has forecast that India’s wheat production will reach a record 117 million tonnes, pushing stocks to their highest level in four years.

Tags: export, wheat, India