Govt cuts down 2022-23 wheat output estimate by 2.19 mn ton to record 110.55 mn ton

The government has revised downwards the wheat production by 2.19 million tonnes to a record 110.55 million tonnes for the 2022-23 crop year ended June, as per data released by the agriculture ministry. The country's actual wheat production stood at 107.74 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June). The ministry releases three estimates before the final one at different stages of harvesting.

As per the final estimate of foodgrain production for the 2022-23 crop year, wheat production has set a new record at 110.55 million tonnes but remains lower by 2.19 million tonnes from the third estimate of 112.74 million tonnes for the same crop year. Unseasonal rains during the harvesting time have led to some loss, resulting in the revision of the crop estimate downward in the final estimate.

As per the final estimate, rice production is estimated to be a record 135.75 million tonnes in 2022-23 against 129.47 million tonnes in the previous year. Coarse cereals production is estimated to have been 57.31 million tonnes in 2022-23, higher than 51.10 million tonnes in the previous year. In the case of pulses, the total production is estimated to have declined to 26 million tonnes in 2022-23 from 27.3 million tonnes in the previous year. 

The total foodgrain output is estimated to have reached a record 329.68 million tonnes in 2022-23 from 315.61 million tonnes in the previous year. In the case of oilseeds, the production has reached a record 41.35 million tonnes in 2022-23 compared to 37.96 million tonnes in the previous year.

Among cash crops, sugarcane production is estimated to have increased to 490.53 million tonnes against 439.42 million tonnes. Cotton production is also estimated to be higher at 33.66 million bales (of 170 kg) in 2022-23 compared to 31.11 million bales in the previous year, while that of jute/mesta declined to 9.39 million bales (of 180 kg) from 10.14 million bales.