Russia-Ukraine conflict: India’s wheat exports expected to exceed 10mt this fiscal year.

Why in news?

• Wheat exports from India are expected to grow exponentially in the backdrop of Russia-Ukraine war as wheat crop from India will be available from early March as compared to other global wheat producers.
• Russia and Ukraine together account for a quarter of global wheat supply.
• So far, wheat exports from India have crossed historical high of 6.5 million tonnes achieved earlier in 2012-13 fiscal.
• This year, it is expected to exceed 10mt.

About Wheat

• It is the main cereal crop in India grown in the rabi (winter) season.
• India is the world’s second-largest producer of the wheat after china.

Climate requirement

• Can be grown in tropical and sub-tropical zones and also in temperate zone and cold tracts of far north.
• Requires cool, moist weather during the major portion of the growing period followed by dry, warm weather to enable the grain to ripen properly.
• Optimum temperature range: 20-25 C.
• During heading and flowering stages, excessively high or low temperatures and drought are harmful to wheat.
• Soils with a clay loam or loam texture, good structure and moderate water holding capacity are ideal for wheat cultivation.