India's Mountain Of Grain Is Set To Implode

A new wheat variety is to be introduced into an over-supplied market; unless the excess production is cleared out, prices will drop.

- RAJALAKSHMI NIRMAL

Karan Vandana, a new hybrid wheat variety which is resistant to yellow rust and white blast and can give significantly higher yield than normal varieties, is likely to be soon launched across the country.

This is good news for farmers as it will reduce their unit cost and improve returns.

However, unless the Centre finds a way to handle the additional supply that will follow this move, the price of wheat grain may plunge and add to the already high distress in rural India.

Karan Vandana (DBW – 187) The variety was developed by the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) under ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research). Every year IIWBR launches a few new hybrid varieties in wheat and barley on a test basis in select markets. If trials produce encouraging results, the institute gets the Centre’s approval to launch it across the country. Last October, it introduced a variety — DBW - 187 —popularly called Karan Vandana in the North-Eastern States on a trial basis.

The variety produced very good results. It gave a yield of 7.8-8 tonnes/hectare compared with 6-6.5 tonnes/hectare by normal varieties. It also proved to be very effective in resisting attack from yellow blast and white rust disease, which are a major threat across wheat fields in the country.