Rome, March 24 (IANS) With recoveries in India and the Russian Federation, the World Food Organisation (FAO) has predicted a 3.4-percent growth in global wheat output this year at 676 million tonnes but warned of higher import bill for poor and deficit countries.

"Wheat plantings in many countries have increased or are expected to increase this year in response to strong prices, while yield recoveries are forecast in areas that were affected by drought in 2010," the FAO said in its first annual forecast.

"In Asia, good 2011 wheat harvests are forecast in India and Pakistan. In China, the drought situation in the north plain has been eased by recent precipitation but the outlook for the wheat crop still remains uncertain," it said.

"But slight improvements in wheat harvests in Pakistan and India would not be enough to compensate for the expected decline in China."

The wheat output for India has been predicted at 81.5 million tonnes in 2011, against 80.8 million tonnes estimated last year and 80.7 million the year before, a growth of 0.9 percent year-on-year.

Looking back to last year's production, the organisation notes that in the low-income food-deficit countries as a group, last year's cereal output rose 5.6 percent that may result in reduced cereal imports in the current marketing year.

It said the need for food assistance persists in many areas, with 29 countries currently requiring external assistance for food. Of these, 21 are in Africa and seven in Asia including North Korea.

"The displacement of large numbers of people in North Africa because of recent political events in that region also has made emergency assistance necessary."