At 168 LMT, Punjab exceeds last year’s wheat production

Karam Prakash

New Delhi, May 22

Punjab has recorded a wheat production of around 168 lakh metric tonnes this year, which is 13.5 per cent higher than the previous year’s wheat yield of the state.

Last year, the total yield was around 148 lakh metric tonnes in Punjab. The Union Government had relaxed quality norms for wheat procurement following the request of the Punjab Government after inclement weather had hit the standing crops.

Meanwhile, officials of the Punjab Agriculture Department claimed that inclement weather had a negative impact on the wheat yield otherwise the state would have recorded the highest wheat output ever. “We would have crossed our highest wheat production figure of 182 lakh metric tonnes, if inclement weather had not played spoilsport,” said Dr Gurvinder Singh, Director, Punjab Agriculture Department.

According to the Union Government, they had already procured over 121 lakh metric tonnes of wheat – which is higher than the previous year’s figure of 96.48 Lakh metric tonnes.

In fact, Punjab’s per acre wheat yield — as per the state agriculture department — rose from 42 quintal per acre last year to 47.25 quintal per acre this year. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district Sangrur has had highest per acre yield with 53-55 quintal.

Could have been higher

We would have crossed our highest wheat production figure of 182 LMT, if inclement weather had not played spoilsport. Dr Gurvinder Singh, director, agriculture dept

Per acre yield rises

Punjab’s per acre wheat yield — as per the state agriculture department — rose from 42 quintal per acre last year to 47.25 quintal per acre this year, a good sign despite inclement weather conditions