Foodgrain production jumps to record 241.56 mt

Bolstered by record output of rice, wheat and, most important, pulses, India’s foodgrain production in the 2010-11 crop marketing year ending this month is estimated to have jumped to 241.56 million tonnes (mt), 10.75 per cent more than last year.

Production of pulses, which has seen a jump in prices in recent years, as demand outstripped supplies, is estimated to be a record 18.09 mt, up 23.3 per cent from last year.

Agriculture ministry officials believe if the trend continues, India could stop importing pulses in the next few years.

Already, there are some encouraging signs. Between 2009-10 and 2011-12 financial years, imports of pulses dropped by 1.5 mt because of bumper harvest.

“The country has the potential to produce 20 mt of pulses annually, which should bring down import dependency to almost nil in the next few years,” agriculture secretary P K Basu told reporters after releasing the fourth advanced estimates of foodgrain production for 2010-11.

Even in bad monsoon years, he said, pulses production should not go down below 17-18 mt.

Among other crops, production of wheat is estimated to be a record 85.93 mt, about 6.3 per cent more than last year. Production of rice is also estimated at a record 95.32 mt, up 6.9 per cent.

“We have fixed a target of producing 102 mt of rice in 2011-12, and are confident of achieving this, as the southwest monsoon has been good in eastern India till now,” Basu said.

Estimated coarse cereals’ production stands at 42.22 mt, 26 per cent higher than last year. Among coarse cereals, production of maize has been estimated at 21.28 mt, up 27.27 per cent. Production of cash crops has touched a new record in 2010-11. Oilseeds production is estimated to be 31.1 mt, 25 per cent higher than last year. Among oilseeds, production of soybean and groundnut have been at record levels of 12.65 mt and 7.53 mt, respectively.

Estimated cotton output has increased 38 per cent from last year to 33.42 million bales (1 bale =170 kg). “There has been a slight downward revision in cotton production when we compare it with the third advanced estimate released in April, but that is because of reporting problems in states,” Basu said.

Sugarcane production is estimated to be 339.16 mt, 16.03 per cent higher than last year.

“We have fixed a target of producing 84 mt of wheat, 21.5 mt of maize, 42 mt of coarse cereals, 17 mt of pulses, 34 million bales of cotton, 33.6 mt of oilseeds and 350 mt of sugarcane in the next crop year,” Basu said.