NEW DELHI, INDIA — India’s wheat export forecast for marketing year 2021-22 has been revised upward to 5 million tonnes, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The 1-million-tonne increase from the previous USDA forecast is due to expected steady domestic prices and a sufficient exportable surplus, the report said.

The anticipated export total is more than double the amount shipped during the 2020-21 marketing year, the USDA said.

The USDA said exports are destined for Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Middle East and African countries.

India also is expected to harvest a record wheat crop in 2021-22 at 109.52 million tonnes, up 1.5% over last year’s record output.

Projected ending stocks were unchanged at 27.85 million tonnes as the government ensures a sufficient supply for the domestic milling industry.

The recent trend of increased domestic demand for wheat-based products is forecast to continue as the USDA projects India’s wheat consumption to reach a record 104.5 million tonnes this year.