Fag end monsoon rain may boost wheat production

Rain during September in wheat producing areas in the north could boost the output well over the previous record of 94.88 million tones produced in 2011-12. According to agriculture experts, rain in parts of Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh during the last days of September will keep the soil moist that will benefit the Rabi crop especially the wheat during sowing period.

Sowing of wheat- the main Rabi (winter) crop- normally starts in October and harvesting takes place in March-April. Planting in irrigated areas will start in the first week of November. Agriculture experts claim that if the temperatures remain good at various stages of the crop growth, the record of 94.88 million tones of wheat produced in 2011-12 could be breached in the financial year 2013-14.

The other reason of this expected record output is satisfactory water levels in the reservoirs in the wheat producing areas. Water levels in the country’s reservoirs have risen to 130 billion cubic meters now, as against 155 billion cubic meters of usable storage capacity. The reservoir position is very good in the north, south and west. There hasn't been much improvement in central India due to less rainfall. Good rains have taken the water reservoir levels in the country to a 10-year high.