India Aims for Record Wheat Production in 2024, Cool Temperatures Support Growth

Farmers in the Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan are expecting an increase in wheat yield this year, thanks to favorable weather conditions including recent rains and lower temperatures. According to the agriculture ministry's final sowing data for the 2023-24 Rabi crops season, wheat acreage increased slightly to 341.57 lakh hectares, up from 339.20 lakh hectares in the previous year. The largest wheat-producing state, Uttar Pradesh, reported over a 4% increase in sowing area, reaching 101.41 lakh hectares. However, there was lower coverage reported in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, while Punjab and Haryana's acreage remained nearly the same as last year.

The Government of India has set a target of 114 million tonnes of wheat production for the current year. According to the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, a slight increase in day temperatures is not a concern for the crop as long as the nights remain cooler. The India Meteorological Department's data indicates that temperatures in major wheat-growing areas of Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan have been below normal, while some regions in Uttar Pradesh experienced slightly higher than normal temperatures.

In terms of other Rabi crops, the total sown area for the 2023-24 crop year was slightly higher at 709.29 lakh hectares compared to 709.09 lakh hectares in the previous year. The area dedicated to winter-grown pulses stood at 160.08 lakh hectares, with a decrease in gram (chana) cultivation but an increase in lentil cultivation. Mustard and other rabi oilseed acreages increased, while the area for groundnut cultivation decreased.

There was a slight decrease in winter paddy acreage, but coarse cereals, jowar, maize, and barley sowing areas increased compared to the previous year.