The country?s foodgrain production is likely to cross 263.2 million tonne (mt) for the 2013-14 crop year (July-June) on record output of rice, wheat and pulses, the agriculture ministry said on Friday.
The record output this year would help curb food inflation in the next few months. As per the second advance estimate released, the rice production is estimated at a record 106.1 mt against 105.2 mt reported in 2012-13. Wheat production is also likely to cross a record 95.6 mt in 2013-14 against 93.5 mt last year.
?Widespread monsoon rains leading to increase in kharif rice production and prolonged winter months in northern India supporting wheat crop are the key reasons for likely increase of overall foodgrains production in the country,? an agriculture ministry official told FE.
Previous record foodgrains production was achieved during 2011-12 crop year at 259.3 mt. The rice and wheat production in that year were reported at 105.3 mt and 94.8 mt, respectively.
Another key feature of achieving higher foodgrain production in the current crop year is a sharp rise in pulses, which is likely to surpass a record 19.7 mt in 2013-14 against 18.3 mt reported last year.
The agriculture ministry statement also stated that there is an expectation of rise in coarse cereals output which is likely to rise to 41.6 mt against 40 mt in the previous year. ?Agriculture in India today is at its best, with a growth rate of 4.6% recorded during the second quarter of this fiscal. This (crop) year, we are poised to produce an all-time record 263.2 mt of foodgrain,? agriculture minister Sharad Pawar earlier this week had stated.
The country’s foodgrain production had declined to 218 mt in 2009-10 crop year because of deficient monsoon rainfall.
With the exception of coarse cereals, the country is expected to witness a record production of wheat, rice and pulses as normal monsoon rains in 2013 had boosted area under cultivation of these crops.
The anticipated bumper foodgrain production also reflected in the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) projections of a growth rate of 4.6% in agriculture and allied sectors, against only 1.4% growth reported a year ago.
The country’s agriculture sector contributes about 14% to country’s GDP.
In non-foodgrain categories, the record out is expected in cotton and oilseeds at 35.6 million bales ( 170 kg a bale) and 32.98 mt, respectively. Last year, cotton output was reported at 34.22 mb and oilseeds at 30.9 mb.
Previous record in cotton production was of 35.2 mb in 2011-12, while oilseeds production had touched record high of 32.4 mt in 2010-11 crop year.
The agriculture ministry data also stated that the production of sugarcane is also estimated to increase at 345.9 mt against 341.2 mt in 2012-13 season. Similarly the production of jute is also estimated to rise to 10.72 million bale (180 kg per bale).
