If arrivals in mandis in Haryana are any indication, the state may be recording "highest ever" production of wheat. On a single day on April 12, total arrivals in different mandis in Haryana were 1.96 lakh hectares which is "highest ever" arrival of wheat in a single day in Haryana. On April 10, the arrivals touched about one lakh tonnes, on April 13 it was 1.07 lakh tonnes and on April 14, the wheat arrival was 1.64 lakh tonnes.

Interestingly, total wheat arrivals during last year on say April 14 were just 22,492 tonnes against this year's figure of 1.64 lakh tonnes on this day. By far, total arrivals in Haryana have been to the tune of about 7.59 lakh tonnes of which food and supplies department procured 1.42 lakh tonnes, Hafed 2.85 lakh tonnes, Food Corporation of India 1.14 lakh tonnes, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation77,000 tonnes, Haryana Warehousing Corporation 65,000 tonnes and Confed 66,000 tonnes. In Punjab, where also arrivals in mandis have begun atleast a fortnight before the usual arrival dates, the arrivals indicate a bumper crop.

Director (agriculture) Haryana, BS Gulia who has just taken charge from Shakuntala Jakhu told that Haryana was "expected to break all previous records and surpass even the official estimates of a bumper crop this year". His Punjab counterpart, MS Sonar too shares the optimism and says that better climate, more area under wheat and absence of any known disease in crop had given him hope that this would be a "highest ever production" of wheat in Punjab this year.

Official sources say that total wheat production in Punjab and Haryana is expected to be around 214.95 lakh tonnes. Last year the total production in the two states was 202.60 lakh tonnes. Punjab had recorded 127.19 lakh tonnes production last year and this year the total production is pegged at 135.76 lakh tonnes.Similarly in Haryana, the total production of wheat is likely to be at 79.2 lakh tonnes this year. This would be a record and highest ever as the second highest ever was 76 lakh tonnes. The major factor for the bumper crop and increase in wheat production is stated to be increase in acreage. Total area this season under wheat production in Punjab and Haryana is stated to be 51.20 lakh hectare. Punjab accounts for 30.32 lakh hectares under wheat cultivation while Haryana accounts for 20.87 lakh hectares. Sources in the agriculture department say that Haryana has shown an increase of 23,000 hectares under wheat acreage while Punjab has shown an increase of 31,000 hectares under wheat cultivation. In fact many farmers who were sowing mustard and sunflower had turned to wheat this time. The yield per hectare was also high this time. In Haryana it is expected to be 38 quintal per hectares as against last year's figure of 36.6 quintal per hectare. In Punjab, the per hectare yield would be 40.74 quintals as against38.53 lakh hectares last year. Sources say that in fact country as a whole was expected foodgrain production of 200 mt against the highest ever of 199.3 mt recorded in the year 1996-97. Last year, the foodgrain production in the country was 192.4 mt. Sources said that rice production this year would be around 84.48 mt and wheat production was pegged at 70.63 mt this year.