The government has upped its wheat production target for the 2025-26 crop year despite anticipated shortfall in wheat production in major growers like Punjab due to torrential rains and flooding.
As against 117.5 million tonnes of actual wheat output in the 2024-25 crop year (July-June), this time, the Centre has set a target of 119 million tonnes, marking an increase of 3.47 per cent, said the agriculture ministry.
The target for the previous crop year set by the government was 115 million tonnes. Meanwhile, the total foodgrain production target has been set at 171.14 million tonnes for the 2025-26 rabi season.
According to the ministry, the wheat production target for Uttar Pradesh has been kept at 36.40 million tonnes, while Madhya Pradesh has been assigned 24 million tonnes, Punjab 18 million tonnes, Rajasthan 11.55 million tonnes, Haryana 11.55 million tonnes, and Bihar 7.25 million tonnes.
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The government has set a target to produce 16.57 million tonnes of pulses and 15.07 million tonnes of oilseeds during the 2025-26 rabi season.
Wheat is the main rabi (winter) crop, whose sowing begins in late October and continues through November. Other rabi crops include jowar, barley, gram and lentil.
Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said there is adequate supply of seeds and fertilisers for the rabi season, and that over 2,000 teams of agriculture scientists will visit farmers to provide timely knowledge and guidance through a ‘rabi campaign’ called the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan', which is set to begin from October 3, 2025.
Against a requirement of 22.9 million tonnes of seeds, nearly 25 million tonnes are available, the minister said.
Speaking about wheat and rice, the minister said the country's production has achieved global levels, but there is a need to place greater focus on pulses and oilseeds.
For this, the government is undertaking crop-wise reviews, he pointed out, while state-level action will be taken against sellers of spurious pesticides, seeds and fertilisers.
When it comes to flood-hit states, Chouhan said the government is taking measures to support the affected states including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Assam, and parts of Haryana.
"Efforts are being made to ensure timely and adequate disbursal of insurance benefits to farmers covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana,” he added.
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