Annual yield of wheat in India FY 2014-2022

In financial year 2022, the estimated yield of wheat in the south Asian country of India was approximately 3.5 thousand kilograms per hectare. A consistent increase in the yield of wheat was noted since fiscal year 2015. Wheat, after rice is one of the country’s main cereal crops.

Wheat for the Indian population

Since India’s independence in 1947, the volume of wheat produced domestically was not enough to feed a drastically increasing population. Therefore, it was one of the main commodities imported into the country. In continuing this trend, wheat accounted for about two percent of the country’s imports in fiscal year 2018, although the volume had significantly decreased. The Green Revolution of the late 60s helped boost volumes in productivity, often producing a surplus . That same year, the daily per capita availability of the cereal stood at 176.4 grams. On average, between ten and twelve chapatis or Indian bread can be made from 200 grams of wheat flour.

Nature versus nurture

Agriculture, the backbone of the Indian economy and the reason for over 60 percent of the population’s livelihood, gets arguably not as much assistance as it needs. Even in the face of governmental efforts to improve methods, recent years have proved difficult for farmers. Excessive rains leading to flooding, droughts from unpredictable heat waves, in addition to the recent slump in the economy have led to challenging circumstances. Major wheat producing states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab were affected by changing temperatures and rising pollution levels. It remains to be seen how much technology and chemical development in agriculture can help maintain a sustainable produce.