Despite rain, country’s wheat yield to cross last year’s target: ICAR DG
India’s wheat production is set to exceed 119 million tonnes in 2025–26, surpassing last year despite adverse weather. With 40% harvesting complete and minimal damage reported, strong yields are expected in key states. The government is also exporting 2.5 million tonnes, reinforcing India’s growing role in global food supply.
Director general (DG) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Mangi Lal Jat on Wednesday said that despite adverse weather conditions including rain and heat, the country is surpassing last year’s annual wheat production target.
The DG stated that with 40% harvesting complete, India’s wheat production is estimated to cross 119 million tonnes (MT), surpassing last year’s total annual production of 117.94 MT. The DG said that despite adverse weather conditions in the past few months, the production of Haryana and Punjab will also rise.
The Union government has set the annual production target for 2025-26 at 121 MT, up nearly 2% from the last year. India is the world’s biggest wheat producer after China, and the area under wheat stands at 33.4 million hectares.
The DG was speaking to reporters during his Karnal visit to the ICAR–Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI) on the occasion of Crop Harvest Day. The event was organised under the theme “Improved Agricultural Practices for Atmanirbhar Bharat”, highlighting the need for sustainable, resilient, and efficient farming systems.
Speaking about the recent rain and hailstorm in the region and its likely impact, he said that overall there has been a negligible impact due to sporadic rain and hailstorm. “This is nothing compared to the fact that this rain has brought positive impacts. In the last week of February until mid-March, the temperature started rising, but this change in weather brought it down. Low temperatures for several days ensured that the crop’s grain filling window is wider,” he said.
‘Paddy transplantation can’t be advanced’
When asked about any decision to advance paddy transplantation that could prepone procurement as demanded by farmers, the DG told the HT that no such policy decision is under consideration.
“The reason for this is evident,” he said, adding, “We may have observed that the depletion of groundwater in Haryana and Punjab occurred during the period when the cultivation of summer rice was widespread. We do not wish to push the region back towards summer rice cultivation once again.
The DG also appreciated the farmers from Haryana and Punjab for paddy residue management, despite floods last year. “Due to rainfall, the paddy harvest was slightly delayed last season. We were concerned that this would lead to a delay in wheat sowing and a resurgence of the practice of stubble burning. However, the farmers successfully curbed residue burning—achieving a compliance rate of 90%—and carried out their wheat sowing in a timely manner,” he added.
‘India to export 2.5 MT wheat’
After crop inspection at the fields of the central institute, the DG said that our agricultural sector has now achieved self-reliance as our country is exporting a wide variety of products—from seed spices to various other spices—sending them all over the world.
“Recently, the government of India decided to export 2.5 MT of wheat, and those shipments are now underway. Given the trajectory of our wheat production growth—and considering the prevailing geopolitical landscape—we anticipate that in the near future, India will extend its full cooperation to help feed the world,” he said.
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Source : Hindustan Times
