West Bengal drops plans to import wheat

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - West Bengal will not import wheat against a tender issued last month for 180,000 tonnes of the grain, a state government source said on Wednesday, citing the likelihood of a record crop.

"There is no requirement for foreign wheat," the official, who did not wish to be identified, told Reuters by telephone from Kolkata.

"We do not see (the federal) government importing wheat due to a likely bumper crop."

India, the world's second-biggest producer, is forecast to harvest a record 76.78 million tonnes in 2008, up from 75.81 million tonnes last year.