24 quintal/acre, wheat yield up this year, belies govt claims

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, April 16

In what would be the major relief for the government, the yield of wheat from many parts of Punjab is much higher than last year.

This means that the total wheat procurement from the state will not go down as sharply as anticipated earlier because of extensive damage to the standing wheat crop last month because of untimely rain.

18 quintals last year

• The wheat yield this time is between 22-24 quintals per acre as against 18 quintals per acre last year
• This indicates that the government target of 170 lakh metric tonnes production could now fall short by just 5 to 10 lakh metric tonnes
• The total area under wheat this year is 34.90 lakh hectare

Information gathered by The Tribune from various mandis reveals that the wheat yield this time is between 22-24 quintals per acre as against 18 quintals per acre last year. This indicates that the government target of 170 lakh metric tonnes production could now fall short by just 5 to 10 lakh metric tonnes. The total area under wheat this year is 34.90 lakh hectare.

A surprise

No doubt there has been a damage to crops in certain districts because of rain. But in other districts, the high yield of 22-24 quintals has even taken us by surprise. This will ensure that we will live up the Centre’s expectation of giving 125-130 LMT of wheat for the central pool. —Gurvinder Singh, Director Agriculture

Last year, the yield has fallen to 18 quintals per acre because of intense heat wave in February and March. This year, expecting a similar weather pattern, the government had set a target of getting a yield of 19-20 quintals per acre. As wheat arrivals now pick up in the mandis, the higher-than-targeted yield is being reported at Maur and mandis of Sangrur, Barnala, Ludhiana and Bathinda. At places affected by the unseasonal rain and winds in Malwa, the yield is between 17-18 quintals per acre.

Baldev Singh, a farmer of Bajak village of Bathinda, said the yield in fields not impacted by incessant rain and high-velocity winds in March is reaching 22 to 24 quintals per acre whereas last year it did not cross 20 quintals. In Maur, commission agent Rajnish Jain too said farmers bringing the crop to the mandis were reporting a yield of 24 quintals, against 18-19 quintals last year. “Farmers are making good money,” he said.

“No doubt there has been a damage to crops in certain districts because of rain. But in other districts, the high yield of 22-24 quintals has even taken us by surprise. This will ensure that we will live up the Centre’s expectation of giving 125-130 lmt of wheat for the central pool,” Punjab Director Agriculture Gurvinder Singh said. Last year, Punjab had been able to contribute just 96.45 lmt of wheat to the central pool.