New Delhi: Amid normal monsoon rainfall across the country, India's foodgrain output is expected to touch a record 150 million tonne in the ongoing kharif season. Among all crops, record production is pegged for rice, sugarcane and cotton.
In the kharif season of 2020-21 crop year (July-June), the foodgrain output comprising rice, pulses and coarse cereals stood at a record 149.56 million tonne, said a government release on Tuesday.
"A record foodgrain production is estimated at 150.50 million tonne in kharif season," agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in a statement, while releasing the first advance foodgrain production estimate for the current kharif season.
As per the data, pulses production is likely to increase to 9.45 million tonne in the 2021-22 kharif season from 8.69 million tonne achieved in the previous year. "Production of tur, the main kharif pulse, is estimated to increase marginally to 4.43 million tonne from 4.28 million tonne. However, production of coarse cereals is estimated to decline to 34 million tonne from 36.46 million tonne," the release said.
Among coarse cereals, it said, maize output is estimated to fall to 21.24 million tonne from 21.44 mt. Similarly, production of oilseeds is projected to be lower at 23.39 mt from 24.03 mt. Among oilseeds, production of groundnut would be lower at 8.25 mt as against 8.55 mt while that of soyabean at 12.72 mt against 12.89 mt.
Sugarcane production is pegged at record 419.25 mt versus 399.25 mt.
Cotton production is seen at 36.22 million bales (170 kg each) against 35.38 million bales.
