NATIONAL NEWS ABOUT WHEAT- FEBRUARY, 2017

28.02.2017

Aap Urges Punjab Guv To Call All-Party Meeting On Wheat Procurement

Taking serious note of the caretaker Government of SAD-BJP’s inaction towards the preparations

for wheat procurement scheduled to begin on April 1, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday

demanded that Punjab Governor should immediately call ‘all parties meeting’ to ensure smooth

procurement of wheat crop.

State convener of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Gurpreet Singh Waraich, Head of the Manifesto

Committee Kanwar Sandhu and president of the farmers’ wing of the party, Captain GS Kang said

that present incumbent Government should share the detailed information on what steps it has

taken so far for obtaining the Cash Credit Limit (CCL) from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for wheat

procurement.

They said that results of Punjab assembly polls would be declared on March 11 after that it would

take at least one week for the formation of new government in the state, leaving very few days for

making arrangement for wheat procurement.

“Adequate preparations for the wheat procurement is must for the agriculture based state of

Punjab, so the incumbent government must reveal that what steps it took so far for the clearance

of CCL to ensure that farmers should not suffer in the wheat procurement process”, they added.

AAP leaders said that it is a known fact that during the last procurement of paddy, farmers had to

suffer a lot due to late release of CCL by Centre and even Chief Minister had to personally visit

Delhi many a times for getting CCL, as RBI had declined the same due to alleged embezzlement

of food grain worth Rs 20,000 crore by the SAD-BJP Government.

Now the time is ripe that Punjab Governor should intervene to ensure prompt and appropriate

steps by the incumbent government to obtain CCL timely, so that farmers should not made to

suffer due to mal-practices of SAD-BJP government, they said.

AAP leaders assured that the party was committed for the smooth procurement of wheat and

would ensure procurement of the crop within 24 hours of its arrival and payment to farmers

within 72 hours of the procurement of their crop.

It is highly imperative that Governor should call all parties meeting so that appropriate

arrangements could be made well in advance for the smooth procurement of the wheat, they

added.

“We have already sought time from Governor on the issue to give a memorandum to him”, they

revealed.

Source:http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/chandigarh/aap-urges-punjab-guv-to-

call-all-party-meeting-on-wheat-procurement.html

28.02.2017

Wheat import duty hike: Minister Ram Vilas Paswan flip-flops on policy

Given the likely glut in wheat due to higher production as well as imports, and the likelihood of prices falling due to this, especially in states where there is no MSP-linked guaranteed procurement by government agencies like FCI, it is not surprising food minister Ram Vilas Paswan is talking of the possibility of the government hiking import duties from zero right now. Indeed, influential farm leaders have already panned the government for allowing imports to take place while farmers could be facing lower prices.

Under the circumstances, while raising import duties on wheat may not be a bad idea, the government has to examine its role in the sorry state of affairs. Last year, while traders were projecting an output of around 82-83 million tonnes due to the drought, the government kept insisting the output would be 10 million tonnes higher. As a result, while wheat prices kept hardening, the government was slow to cut import duties—instead, it cut stocking limits for traders since it believed hoarding was behind the price rising. Finally, when prices didn’t let up, and India’s buffer stocks fell to multi-year lows, import duties were cut to 10% in September 2016 and to zero in December—it is after this that 5.5 million tonnes were imported.

Hiking import duties, as Paswan is suggesting, could help stabilise wheat prices and is important since, if prices fall beyond a point, this could affect sowing of wheat in the next season—in other words, long-term agriculture growth would get affected. In the case of pulses, a similar fall in prices is jeopardising the possibility of long-term production and those who imported at high prices are already looking at the possibility of large losses. But while raising duty levels will solve the immediate problem, the government needs to examine why it is getting its production estimates so wrong—a similar dispute over likely sugarcane production is keeping import duties at an unconscionably high 40%.

Rather than abruptly changing import duties, and often too late to be able to contain domestic prices, a better solution would be to allow futures trading to smooth price fluctuations. Since a well-functioning futures market will provide accurate price signals, imports can be made well in advance—of course, this will mean the stop-go export policies that are prevalent today will have to be stopped, as will the sudden and arbitrary changes in import duty.

Source:http://www.financialexpress.com/industry/wheat-import-duty-hike-minister-ram-

vilas-paswan-flip-flops-on-policy/567686/

23.02.2017

Centre hints at reinstating wheat import duty

Government may review the current duty free wheat import regime in view of expectations of a record harvest this year

New Delhi: The government may review the current duty free wheat import regime, food minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Tuesday, in view of expectations of a record harvest this year and to ensure that imports do not dampen local prices.

The government recently removed the import duty on wheat to increase its availability in domestic market, Paswan said.

“(We) will take all necessary steps to ensure payment of minimum support price (MSP) to farmers and may review the import duty on wheat if required,” the food minister said in a statement.

The Centre abolished the 10% import duty on wheat in December last year after retail prices rose due to lower than estimated production in 2016. In September, it slashed import duty to 10% from 25%.

Last year, the agriculture ministry’s wheat estimates came under scrutiny after retail prices soared due to lower availability. The ministry had estimated a crop size of 94 million tonnes in May last year (third advance estimates for 2015-16), significantly higher than the 85-88 million tonnes estimated by traders.

In its latest estimates released on 15 February, the agriculture ministry revised it down to 92.3 million tonnes, and projected the 2016-17 production at a record 96.6 million tonnes. Harvest of the 2017 crop begins in April.

According to the food ministry, following the production shortfall last year, wheat imports to India surged to a high of 5.5 million tonnes (2016-17).

However, the ministry expects a turnaround this year. It has set a target to procure a record 33 million tonnes from farmers beginning April, considerably higher than the target of 28 million tonnes the year before, which fell short by nearly 5 million tonnes.

“When there is price rise the benefit is taken by the traders and consumers are exploited. However, when fresh crop hits the market prices fall and the farmers have to take the loss,” the food ministry said in its statement. “Extensive preparations have been made for procurement operations,” it added.

Source:http://www.livemint.com/Politics/WBqapkVu8RIbgUptaIR6VM/Centre-hints-at-reinstating-wheat-import-duty.html

22.02.2017

Centre may review wheat import duty if required: Paswan

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 21: Riding on expectations of a bumper wheat crop this year, the Centre said it may review import duty if it feels that farmers are not getting the right price.

“Fresh wheat crop is expected to come by mid-March, … and when fresh crop hits the market, prices fall, and farmers have to take the loss,” said Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan here on Tuesday, adding that “government will take all necessary steps to ensure payment of MSP (minimum support price) to farmers and may review the import duty on wheat if required.”

He said the government’s experience was that traders take advantage of the high rates while farmers are forced to sell their produce at cheaper prices.

The Centre recently scrapped 10 per cent import duty on wheat to increase its availability in the domestic market. In around two months, 40 lakh tonnes wheat has been imported and more than 55 lakh tonne imports have taken place this year, the Ministry said in a release.

As per data released by the Agriculture Ministry, wheat production will be around 965 lakh tonnes. Sowing of wheat was up by 7 per cent, pulses increased by 11 per cent and sowing of oilseeds was higher by 6 per cent compared with last year.

“Going by the sowing area and favourable weather conditions, the country will have good yield of wheat,” the Minister said, adding that the Food Department held a meeting with wheat producing States on February 15, and had set the procurement target at 330 lakh tonne for the ensuing Rabi Marketing Season 2017-18.

Source:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/centre-may-

review-wheat-import-duty-if-required-paswan/article9553998.ece

21.02.2017

India's wheat imports to slow after March on fumigation rule change

NEW DELHI: India's wheat imports from Russia, France and Ukraine could come to a halt after

March, as New Delhi has asked exporters to fumigate their cargoes with methyl bromide, an insect

control gas banned in Europe and the Black Sea region.

Currently, food shipments are fumigated at India's ports. After March 31, the plant quarantine

authority will only accept cargoes fumigated with methyl bromide at the country of export.

The decision is aimed at curbing wheat imports to help local farmers, who will harvest the new-

season crop from next month.

"Since the government does not apprehend any shortage, the idea is to limit imports when local

wheat harvests are round the corner," said a government source with direct knowledge of the

matter.

The source did not wish to be identified as he is not authorised to talk to the media.

India has bought more than five million tonnes of wheat since mid-2016, its biggest annual

purchase in a decade, after it turned to the world market to meet a supply shortfall left by two

years of droughts.

New Delhi is slowing imports ahead of the harvest in April and purchases in the months ahead

will depend on production this year.

The farm ministry last week forecast wheat output at 96.64 million tonnes in 2017, up from 92.29

million tonnes in the previous year.

"It is a non-tariff barrier, which will affect cargoes from Europe and Black Sea. But supplies, if

any, will continue from Australia, which allows the use of methyl bromide," said Tejinder Narang,

a trade analyst in New Delhi.

India probably does not need imports until October because of its local harvest, said a European

trader.

But both Moscow and Kiev are in talks with New Delhi to reach an agreement, traders in Russian

and Ukraine said.

Other than wheat imports from Europe and the Black Sea, India's imports of yellow peas from

Canada will grind to a halt.

Although India imports yellow peas, a sharp rise in local production of chickpeas, pigeon peas and

black gram has bumped up local supplies of protein-rich pulses, mostly consumed in curries.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/indias-wheat-

imports-to-slow-after-march-on-fumigation-rule-change/articleshow/57253396.cms

February 18,2017

What the prices of wheat and rice can tell us

A lack of sophisticated markets in India up to that point, in comparison to Europe and China, may

suggest its economy was underdeveloped even before the British arrived

Hans Rosling, who died earlier this month, made data come to life in ways that were

simultaneously astonishing, intuitive, elegant and, ultimately, simple. What is remarkable about

Rosling’s landmark TED Talk of 2006, titled The Best Stats You’ve Ever Seen, is that there is very

little data in that presentation that had not already been available for many, many years. Rosling’s

genius was threefold. He first wondered why people held biased views that were no longer backed

by data. Secondly, he decided that the problem was not paucity of data but the way in which this

data was represented and visualized. Thirdly, he decided that the trick was to see all this data not

as static markers but as moving, animated visualization.

There is perhaps one demand-side reason why Rosling’s work resonates with so many people,

especially on the Internet. In many ways, we live in an age of the tyranny of measurables.

Everything from the performance of companies to the performance of nations is ranked and

measured. Good companies are measured by their stock prices. Good countries are measured by

their “Global Competitiveness” or “Ease Of Doing” business rankings. With plummeting trust in

news, widespread commodification of opinion and comment, and a global distrust of any kind of

filter, it is little wonder that we are in such thrall of measurables and data and statistics. These

are, as it were, the hardest things to lie about.

Many historians too, and this might come as a surprise, extensively use data and quantitative

techniques in their research. How can this be, you ask? Aren’t the humanities all about sitting in

dark rooms, making up Marxist stuff in tweed jackets and then picking up a government salary at

the end of the month before emailing your students to go on strike?

Not quite. Historians have been formally grappling with quantitative methods and statistical

techniques, as we recognize them today, since at least the 1960s. The first journal devoted to this

type of “Quantitative History” was Historical Methods Newsletter, established in 1967. There are

now many others. Indeed, these days it is a rare historian who does not have to grapple with some

form of quantitative technique in his work.

Of course, this does not automatically legitimize this branch of work more than any other branch

of historical scholarship. It is important to not fetishize numbers in a spreadsheet because

numerals somehow smell truthier than alphabets. Having said that, these methods can often yield

results of great value to the historian. Let me briefly cite one such example.

In the early 2000s, Roman Studer, then a doctoral student at Oxford, began to collate the market

price of wheat and rice in 46 cities in India between 1700 and 1914. This was a formidable task. It

is not only difficult to find such data, but more so to find information across unbroken periods of

time. Eventually, Studer settled on 70 “price series” for wheat and rice. He then began to analyse

this data to understand something fairly straightforward: the levels of integration of all these

markets. He investigated how prices fluctuated across these markets, whether these fluctuations

were correlated, and how this correlation changed with the distance between markets.

A paper he published in 2008, titled India And The Great Divergence: Assessing The Efficiency

Of Grain Markets In Eighteenth- And Nineteenth-Century India (goo.gl/zxLKOL), in which he

summarized his findings, makes for fascinating reading: “Before 1850, these year-to-year price

movements seem completely unrelated in regions that were distant from one another; even the

massive price spikes did not coincide.” Thus, while prices shot up astronomically in Bengal during

the 1770 famine, they remained stable in northern and western India. It was only from 1850

onwards that markets seemed to show signs of integration and efficiency: “Not only did prices

inflate similarly in all three regions during this later period, but the short-term variations also

looked very similar. This feature contrasts starkly with the totally asynchronous price movements

observed for the early period.”

But what is the broader point of this result? Studer’s research feeds into the Great Divergence

debate that continues to enthrall many historians. This is the one in which historians (and

anybody else in the mood really) argue over why western Europe developed before the rest of the

world in the period leading up to the Industrial Revolution and colonialism. To gravely generalize,

the debate is waged between one side that says this Divergence was due to the unique

characteristics of the West, and another that says that these characteristics existed elsewhere until

the onset of colonialism ruined it for the Indians, the Chinese and others.

Studer’s results aligned with the first camp. His point was that grain markets in India remained

highly unintegrated until the onset of colonial rule. Thus, the lack of sophisticated markets in

India up to that point, in comparison to Europe but also some parts of China, suggests that India’s

economy was already underdeveloped even before the British arrived on the scene.

The debate continues. And regardless of how his results make you feel, Studer’s paper is well

worth reading.

Thus, data is not the purview of the hard sciences alone. If there is anything we should take away

from the brilliant work and infectious enthusiasm of Rosling, it is that data can be useful to people

from all walks of life. Including historians.

Source:http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/xckHxW6sCWw9Vylip7sKIJ/What-the-prices-

of-wheat-and-rice-can-tell-us.html

February 18,2017

100 million tonnes: Amount of wheat Indians are likely to eat in 2016-17

Indians are expected to consume over 100 million tonnes of wheat in 2016-17 marketing year that

will end in March if Centre’s production estimates and trade’s import numbers for the year are

correct.

The government on Wednesday, as per its second advanced estimate, said that wheat output in

2015-16 crop year which is marketed till March 2017 is around 92.29 million tonnes. This is lower

than its earlier estimate of 93.5 million tonnes.

Assuming that the production numbers are accurate, the 2016-17 season started with an opening

wheat stocks of around 14.5 million tonnes with the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

This when added to the total estimated production of 92.29 million tonnes, takes the total

availability from domestic crop at 106.7 million tonnes.

That apart, trade sources said that India is expected to import not less than 5.5 million tonnes of

wheat in 2016-17. This takes up the availability to almost 112.2 million tonnes.

The closing stocks of wheat with Central agencies as on March 31, 2017 is projected to be around

8-10 million tonnes.

Even if the ending stocks are towards the higher end of this band, would mean that India has

consumed over 102 million tonnes of wheat in 2016-17 crop marketing year that will culminate in

March.

“Till last few years, India’s total annual wheat consumption was around 91-92 million tonnes,

assuming that there is yearly increase of 1.3 per cent in consumption, 2016-17 numbers show that

wheat consumption in the country has seen a staggering rise in 2016-17,” a leading trader said.

The Central government estimates India’s wheat production in 2016-17 marketing year to be

around 92.29 million tonnes, but trade sources said it is much lower and could be below 90 million

tonnes. The USDA had pegged the production at 86 million tonnes.

The government first lowered the wheat import duty from 25 per cent to 10 per cent and later

waived it off completely as wheat flour (atta) prices showed a rising trend. Trade sources said they

have already contracted around 5.5 million tonnes of imported wheat of which around 4.5 million

tonnes has already been disposed off to buyers.

The remaining will also be consumed in the coming weeks.

This also means that going forward, in 2017-18 wheat marketing year that will start from April,

private traders might continue with their imports and purchase around 2-3 million tonnes of more

wheat from outside the country.

All this hinges on how reliable 2017-18 wheat estimates are, where the Centre believes production

is expected to be a record 96.6 million tonnes, provided there is no adverse weather impact on the

standing crop.

Source:http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/indians-likely-to-eat-

more-than-100-million-tonnes-of-wheat-in-2016-17-117021600260_1.html

February 16,2017

India top buyer of Ukrainian wheat Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-top-

buyer-of-ukrainian-wheat/articleshow/57169084.cms

Wheat procurement target set at 330 lakh tonnes for 2017-18

The Centre has decided to procure 330 lakh tonnes (lt) of wheat during the rabi marketing season 2017-18, higher than 229.61 lt during the last season.

A decision to this effect was taken on Wednesday in the conference of State Food Secretaries, chaired by Preeti Sudan, Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution.

The sowing of rabi crops this year is reported to be 6 per cent higher than last year. As per Agriculture Ministry data for the week ended January 27, wheat had been sown on 315.55 lakh hectares (lh) compared with the normal level of 301.49 lh for the corresponding week.

As per a Food Ministry’s release, the Centre will procure an estimated 115 lakh tonnes (lt) of wheat from Punjab, 85 lt from Madhya Pradesh, 75 lt from Haryana, 30 lt from Uttar Pradesh, 17.5 lt from Rajasthan, 5 lt from Bihar, 1.5 lt from Uttarakhand, and 0.50 lt each from Gujarat and other States.

Rice procurement The Centre also decided to procure an estimated 50 lt paddy grown in rabi crop of the kharif marketing season (KMS) 2016-17.

Of the total 50 lt, 15 lt of paddy will be procured from Telangana, 13 lt from Andhra Pradesh, 8 lt from West Bengal, 7 lt from Odisha, 5 lt from Tamil Nadu, 1 lt from Kerala, 0.75 lt from Maharashtra and 0.25 lt from Assam.

“This estimate is over and above the estimate of 330 lt set for KMS 2016-17, for which the procurement operations are going on and the paddy procurement in KMS 2016-17 in terms of rice has already reached to the level of 292.31 lt, as reported on February 15, 2017,” the release said, adding that this was nearly 28 lt higher than the procurement of 264.53 lt by the corresponding date last year.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/wheat-

procurement-target-set-at-330-lakh-tonnes-for-201718/article9545182.ece

February 13, 2017

Scientists develop zinc-rich wheat variety

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) here have developed a new wheat variety with high content of zinc.

Soon, people would be able to buy zinc-rich wheat which would cost as much as normal varieties at retail outlets, sources said, adding that the new variety was resistant to yellow, black and brown rusts.

“Keeping in view the increasing graph of malnutrition, scientists have developed WB-02 variety which has high zinc in compare to other wheat varieties, said Dr GP Singh, Director, IIWBR. Now, people would get nutritious option in wheat, he said.

He said that during a meeting in New Delhi last week, the CVRC had given its consent to release the variety.

As per the scientists, around 70 per cent of the Indian population consumes less than 50 per cent of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) of micronutrient, while around50 per cent children under the age of 3 years are underweight, while 20 per cent of them are severely malnourished. This deficiency will severely affect the productivity of the population in future. A major graph of women, particularly in the rural areas, has the nutritional deficiency.

“Normally, wheat contains 30-35 parts per million (PPM) of zinc, whereas this variety has 42 PPM zinc,” said Ravish Chatrath, principal scientist, IIWBR, who developed this variety.

“After approval from the CVRC, the institute has raised the production of seed of this variety and it may be available for sowing in the coming season,” he added.

“The average yield of WB-02 is almost equal to other varieties and its average production is around 52 quintal per acre,” he said.

“The variety is meant for the north-west states of the country and can be sown in first week of

November,” said the principal scientist.

Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/community/scientists-develop-zinc-

rich-wheat-variety/362477.html

Feb 8, 2017

Conducive Weather Brings Cheer To Wheat Growers

Are Expecting Bumper Yield This Rabi Season

Low temperature accompanied by frost during night has brought cheers to farmers, as they are anticipating high yield of wheat this season.

Wheat is a major rabi crop of this border district. Fazilka is one of the largest wheat-producing belts of the area.

Sources in Agriculture Department said wheat had been sown on 2.7 lakh hectares in the district.

Agronomist Satish Dhingra said the night temperature, which fell to 6°C during the month of February, and frost proved beneficial to the standing wheat crop sown in November.

“Farmers are expecting higher yield from the lush wheat crop this time,” said Keemat Ram of Farmawala village. Agriculture Development Officer SK Dhanju said the department was expecting yield of over 20 quintals an acre.

Last year, the average yield was recorded at about 18 quintals per acre in Fazilka district.

Meteorological experts are hoping that the favourable atmosphere would prolong till the harvesting of the crop during the month of April.

“The use of insecticide is minimal this season and the crop is standing disease-free,” said Lal

Chand of Kotha village, who has sown wheat on 8 acres.

Source:http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/community/conducive-weather-

brings-cheer-to-wheat-growers/361054.html

FEBRUARY 8,2017 AHMEDABAD/BENGALURU: Market arrivals of the wheat crop have begun in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, leading to a softening trend in prices of the cereal, which had spiked in recent months on supply concerns. Also, the increase in grain imports from countries such as Australia and Ukraine, which are expected to touch 5 million tonnes this year, is seen weighing on domestic prices.

In Indore, the benchmark market for the cereal, daily arrivals are hovering between 40 and 50 quintals, whereas in the mandis of Gondal and Rajkot in neighbouring Gujarat, arrivals are ranging between 40 and 80 quintals.

Wheat acreage has risen this year to 317.81 lakh hectares against last year's 297.25 lakh ha and conducive weather is seen boosting the prospects of a good harvest.

Trade sources in Indore said prices of the new wheat are ranging between ₹1,600 and ₹2,000 a quintal in various markets, similar to last year, depending on the quality and the moisture content. Arrivals are expected to pick up after Holi in Madhya Pradesh, where farmers have brought additional acreage of over 1 million hectares under wheat cultivation.

Similarly, in Gujarat, prices are hovering between ₹1,850-2,050. In Delhi, wheat prices are trading lower at ₹2,000 compared to the ₹2,200 levels in mid-January, reflecting a softening trend on new crop arrivals and increased imports. The February contract on the NCDEX was quoting lower at ₹1,767.

Bumper crop Given the adequate availability of imported wheat and expectations of a bumper domestic crop, demand and buying interest in new wheat from millers and stockists is almost negligible. “Demand is expected to pick up only from mid-March,” said Heera Lal, a wholesale wheat trader in Indore. Considering record imports and a bigger crop, farmers are staring at lower prices for wheat this year. “We fear the prices will drop due to the sentiment of oversupply after the increase in imports. Futures also indicate a bearish trend — when the arrivals pick up later this month, there will be downward pressure on prices. We have sown wheat but the harvest will take place later this month,” said Tarsibhai Ranchhodbhai Patel from Padadhari of Rajkot district.

Higher imports Sharing similar views, Vitthal Dudhatara, co-general secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) in Gujarat, said: “Production is likely to be higher but the harvest will begin after 15-20 days. Only then can we expect some clarity on prices. We believe prices will be lower due to huge imports likely to take place. At the association level we have strongly opposed the Centre’s decision to cut down the import duty and opening doors for a flush of imports.” Millers estimate that India has so far, imported anywhere between 3 and 4 million tonnes, while over another million tonnes has been contracted by millers. “About 22 ships bringing in some 54,000 tonnes each are headed to Tuticorin from Australia,” trade sources said.

Source:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/wheat-prices-begin-to-ease-as-new-arrivals-hit-mp-gujarat/article9530180.ece

Feb 08, 2017

India's wheat imports rise above 5 million tonne, biggest in decade India bought 6.7 million tonnes of wheat in 2006/07, according to the US Department of

Agriculture.

SINGAPORE: India has bought more than five million tonnes of wheat since mid-2016, already

its biggest annual purchase in a decade, after it began an import campaign to meet a supply

shortfall left by two years of lower production.

The country is slowing down imports ahead of the harvest in April and purchases in the months

ahead will depend on production this year, two traders told Reuters on Wednesday.

"There will be more deals signed in the coming months," said one Singapore-based trader. "It will

not be more than 200,000 to 300,000 tonnes as the domestic harvest is expected to replenish

supplies."

Thomson Reuters data showed 5.1 million tonnes of wheat has been delivered or loaded for arrival

into India since July 1, while traders estimated the country has bought about 5.2 million tonnes.

More than one million tonnes of wheat was delivered to India in January and February arrivals

have already hit close to 400,000 tonnes.

India bought 6.7 million tonnes of wheat in 2006/07, according to the US Department of

Agriculture.

The country began importing wheat around the middle of last year after two years of dry weather

and unseasonal rains hit production in the world's second largest consumer of the grain.

The country has bought wheat mainly from Ukraine and Australia. Indian flour mills paid about

$210-$212 a tonne, including cost and freight (C&F), for Ukrainian wheat.

For Australian Standard Wheat (ASW), millers paid $215-$220 a tonne and Australian Premium

Wheat (APW) was delivered to the country at about $235-$240 a tonne, traders said.

Indian wheat futures fell for a second day on Tuesday, as data released on Friday showed higher

planting compared with last year.

Winter wheat planting in India this year was up about 7 percent at 31.78 million hectares as of

Friday, government data showed.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/indias-wheat-

imports-rise-above-5-million-tonne-biggest-in-decade/articleshow/57034692.cms

FEBRUARY 3,2017

Favourable weather gives wheat sowing a boost Favourable weather seems to have helped in the sowing of wheat — the main rabi crop — in the key growing regions of North India, where farmers have brought in higher acreage under the cereal crop this year. Wheat acreage stood at 317.81 lakh hectares (lh) as on February 3, compared with 297.lh in the corresponding period last year and 303.18 lh of average sowing over the previous five years.

Sowing of pulses, too, increased to 159.72 lh in the current rabi season till February 3, compared with the previous five years’ average (normal of the corresponding week) of 147.7 lh.

Beneficial showers “The January rains have been a big positive for wheat in Punjab and Haryana, where the crop is in boot and heading stages with spikes seen emerging in various locations. Though there have been reports of hailstorms in some areas, the overall scenario looks good,” said an official at the Agriculture Ministry.No major incidence of pest or disease attack has been reported in the key producing regions.

Weather forecast The India Meteorological Department says that almost all regions of North-West India have received excess rain in the last week of January.

The Met has also forecast rains over the next few days over the region.

The government has set a wheat production target of 96.5 million tonnes this year.

Higher coverage has been reported from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Lower coverage has been reported from Gujarat, Karnataka and Assam.

Rice, cereals lose There was, however, a decline in the sowing of rice, coarse cereals and oilseeds compared with the average acreage in the last five years.

Overall, acreage under rabi sowing, which started at the end of October and has now almost tapered off, was at 645.12 lh till February 3, compared with the normal for the corresponding week, of 623.93 lh.

Rice sowing declined to 25.64 lh (29.25 lh).

States such as Telangana, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Tripura have reported higher coverage, while lower coverage has been reported from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Sowing of coarse cereals declined to 57.61 lh (58.92 lh).

Higher area coverage was reported from States, such as Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and West Bengal.

Lower sowing was reported from some States, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.There was a marginal decline in the sowing of oilseeds, which fell to 84.34 lh, compared with normal for the corresponding week, of 84.89 lh.

There was higher sowing in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.Lower sowing was reported from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/favourable-weather-gives-wheat-sowing-a-boost/article9520415.ece

Feb 03 2017

India sees record planting of wheat and pulses

While higher production of foodgrains may help better the agriculture growth rate of 4.1% estimated last month, a record crop will also help keep food inflation in check

New Delhi: Farmers in India have planted the highest ever area under wheat and pulses in the ongoing winter crop season, raising hopes of a bumper crop in 2016-17, surpassing past records. While higher production of foodgrains may help better the agriculture growth rate of 4.1% estimated last month by the statistics department, a record crop will also help keep food inflation in check.

Further, a record area planted under winter crops shows that the cash crunch following demonetisation of high value currency in November did not impact sowing, though poor crop management and adverse weather in the coming months may lead to lower yields.

According to the latest report on the progress of Rabi (winter) sowing released by the agriculture ministry on Friday, India’s wheat area has climbed to 31.8 million hectares in 2016-17, the highest ever, surpassing the 31.5 million hectares planted in 2013-14. This season’s planting is over 2 million hectares more than last year (2015-16) when a widespread drought led to lower plantings.

Similarly, 16 million hectares have been planted with pulses, close to 2 million hectares more than the normal or five-year average area. Though the area under rice, coarse grains and oilseeds is lower than five-year averages, the total area under winter crops in 2016-17 stands at 64.5 million hectares, marginally higher than the previous record area of 64.4 million hectares achieved in 2013-14.

Indian farmers harvested a record 95.8 million tonnes of wheat in 2014, followed by consecutive years of poor harvest due to adverse weather conditions—86.5 million tonnes in 2015 and 93.5 million tonnes in 2016, according to government estimates. For 2017, the government has set a target of 96.5 million tonnes of wheat production.

Overall, the government has targeted foodgrain production at 270 million tonnes in 2016-17, following a normal monsoon last year, hoping to better the previous record of 265 million tonnes output achieved in 2013-14.

According to the first advance estimates released by the agriculture ministry in September, production of Kharif foodgrains (2016-17) is expected to rise by 9% year-on-year. A bumper winter harvest means that the overall production target will be within reach.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/LMnx30YUd0UuKvpyQdVxcP/India-sees-record-planting-of-wheat-and-pulses.html

Feb 3, 2017

Yellow rust attack on wheat in Y’nagar

Dabas Yellow rust has been detected in the wheat crop spread over five acres in Taprapur

village of the district’s Saraswati block. The disease was observed in HD-2967, Barbat and

25+2 varieties of wheat.

The affected crop was inspected by a team of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare

Department comprising deputy director agriculture (DDA) Aditya Pratap Dabas, senior

scientist of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Damla, Dr URS Taya and assistant plant protection officer

Dr JS Saini.

Aditya Pratap Dabas said, “It is the first incident of yellow rust during this rabi season.

Fungicide has been sprayed in the field following inspection.”

He advised the farmers to inspect wheat crop daily and spray propiconozole in the affected

fields.

said farmers should avoid irrigating their fields for the time being given the recent rain spell.

He said the teams of Agriculture Department would regularly visit villages and monitor the

crop.

Source:http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/community/yellow-rust-attack-on-

wheat-in-y-nagar/358629.html