The country is headed for yet another bumper harvest this kharif season aided by widespread and timely monsoon.
Initial estimates for the 2011-12 kharif season point to a record production of rice, oilseeds and cotton. However, output of pulses and coarse cereals would see a dip mainly due to decline in the area coverage of around 11.4 lakh hectares.
“The first advance estimates have been encouraging. The overall production of foodgrains, cotton and oilseeds has been quite good, but we have to work hard on pulses and coarse cereals,” the Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, told a conference on Rabi campaign.
Rice output is set to grow by 8 per cent to an all-time kharif high of 87.10 million tonnes, thereby lifting total foodgrains output to a record high of 123.88 million tonnes. For the forthcoming Rabi season, the rice production target has been set at 15 million tonnes.
“Good rainfall and adequate water availability in the reservoirs will provide necessary impetus for substantial area expansion and enhancing production during the ensuing Rabi season,” Mr Pawar said.
Agriculture and allied sector grew 6.6 per cent in 2010-11 and the Government is targeting a 4 per cent growth this fiscal. Foodgrain output hit a record high of 241.6 million tonnes in 2010-11 and the target for current fiscal has been set at 245 million tonnes. “Considering the performance in recent past, I am hopeful that we will be able to surpass this target easily,” Mr Pawar said.
Production of tur is projected to be at last year's level of around 2.9 million tonnes, while urad and moong would see a shortfall. “We are planning to increase the Rabi area under pulses by 1 million hectares to offset the kharif shortfall,” said the Agriculture Commissioner, Mr Gurbachan Singh.