Agronomists had expressed apprehension of a lower wheat production this season as compared to last year's output due to severe shortage of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) in the major wheat producing belt of the country at the time of sowing.

But government maintains that the fertiliser availability throughout the country is very comfortable and there was no question of any output fall due to nutrient shortage.

"DAP availability, as on December 15, 1998, is 22.69 lakh tonnes, higher by about four lakh tonnes available at the same time last year," additional secreatary of agriculture ministry, J N L Srivastava said.

He said the country was set to cross the last year's wheat production of 66.05 million tonnes as according to present estimates, output would be about 70 million tonnes.

Total cultivated area under wheat crop was 19.7 million hectares during the current rabi season as against 18.5 million hectares area last year.

The government's optimism is based mainly on three favorable factors-- more area under wheat cultivation, no report of pest and diseases attacks and comfortable water availabilty for irrigation purposes.

The area under wheat cultivation in the major wheat producing states such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana has gone up significantly during the current rabi season as compared to the last year, Srivastava said.

The cropped area under wheat has gone up to 33 lakh hectares as against 30 lakh hectares last year. The area is even higher than the normal cropped area (average cultivated area during past 10 years) of 32.54 lakh hectares, he said.

Similarly, the total sowing area has gone up by four lakh hectares to 22.50 lakh hectares in Haryana, crossing the normal area of 20 lakh hectares, Srivastava said.

The major wheat producing state Uttar Pradesh has 81 lakh hectares area under wheat cultivation this time as compared to 78 lakh hectares registered last year.

Water availability for irrigation is quite comfortable as 63 major reservoirs of the country have a total water storage of 97.80 thousand million cubic meters.

"The water storage position during the current rabi season is better than the situations in the last three-four years," he said.