India to harvest record wheat, rapeseed crop in 2023

A combine deposits harvested wheat in a tractor trolley at a field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, Mar 16, 2022. REUTERS

India's 2023 wheat production is likely to rise 4.1% to a record 112.2 million tonnes, the government said on Tuesday, as higher prices prompted farmers to expand crop-growing areas with high-yielding varieties and the weather remained favourable.

Higher wheat output could help the world's second-biggest producer of the grain in replenishing depleted inventories and bringing down prices from record levels.

India, also the world's second-biggest consumer of wheat, banned exports in May 2022 after a sharp, sudden rise in temperatures clipped output, even as exports picked up to meet the global shortfall triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

India's wheat output fell to 107.74 million tonnes in 2022 from 109.59 million tonnes a year earlier, data released by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare showed.

The country grows only one wheat crop in a year, with planting in October and November, and harvesting from March.

Despite the expected rise in output, India is considering extending a ban on wheat exports as it seeks to replenish state reserves and bring down domestic prices, government sources said last week.

India's rapeseed production in 2023 could jump 7.1% from a year earlier to a record 12.8 million tonnes, the government said.

A rise in rapeseed output could help the world's biggest edible oil importer reduce overseas purchases of palm oil , soyoil and sunflower oil.

The country's rice production from winter-sown crop could rise to 22.76 million tonnes from 18.47 million tonnes a year earlier, according to the government.

India is the world's biggest exporter of rice.