The last sowing of wheat for the rabi season is still going on and will continue till next week. So far, wheat has been sown in 3.25 crore hectares. “We estimate that the total area under the crop will increase this year.
Wheat production is expected to touch a record 114 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop season. In 2022-23, 110.5 million tonnes were produced. “Wheat production will pick up due to better crops and better temperatures,” Food Corporation of India Chairman Ashok K Meena said.
The last sowing of wheat for the rabi season is still going on and will continue till next week. So far, wheat has been sown in 3.25 crore hectares. “We estimate that the total area under the crop will increase this year. The Ministry of Agriculture has estimated record wheat production on this basis.
“We are seeing an increase in the area under wheat sowing. Some states had a 1 percent shortfall, which will be completed in the first week of January. If production levels remain the same, we will be able to procure more than our requirement and also the additional stocks required for the open market sale plan for the next year,” he said. Under the scheme, 59 lakh tonnes of wheat has been sold since June 2023 and the sale will continue till March.
“There is an increase in the prices of rice in the open market, but we are making available rice in huge quantities through OMSS. In such a case, the price is not expected to rise. Through weekly auctions, FCI has only sold 1.45 lakh tonnes of rice at Rs 29 per kg. FCI has so far purchased 31 million tonnes of rice with a target of 52 million tonnes.
