The Ministry of Agriculture has said that recent unseasonal weather events are unlikely to have a significant impact on India’s overall wheat production, with output expected to remain broadly stable this season.
Officials acknowledged that isolated instances of rain and storms during the harvesting period caused limited damage in some regions. However, they clarified that these localised incidents will not materially affect total national production.
Pic Credit: Pexel
Concerns were earlier raised by the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India, which estimated wheat output for 2025–26 at around 110.65 million tonnes—slightly above last year’s 109.63 million tonnes but lower than the government’s earlier projection of 120.21 million tonnes.
Responding to these estimates, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said actual production is likely to fall within a range between industry and government projections, indicating a moderate outcome rather than a sharp deviation.
The ministry also noted that wheat was cultivated across approximately 33.4 million hectares this season, with no major reports of pest infestations or widespread crop diseases. Timely sowing and favourable early-season conditions supported overall crop growth.
While higher temperatures in February may have affected grain development in certain pockets, officials said the impact has been partly offset by an increase in sown area and the use of climate-resilient seed varieties.
Early procurement data from key producing states also suggests steady arrivals, supporting the government’s view that wheat output remains largely stable despite weather-related challenges.
