Grain output may grow to record 212.2 mt

Foodgrain production in 2003-04 was likely to rise 21.8% to a record 212.2 million tonne.

The output was 174.2 million tonne last year, according to data released by the agriculture ministry.

Estimates released by the ministry has scaled up the growth in kharif output to 110.98 million tonne from 108.45 million tonne.

The estimate for rabi output is 101.22 million tonne, which is 7.2 per cent higher than 86.38 million tonne last year.

The production of pulses is projected to grow 30 per cent and oilseeds 66 per cent. Among the commercial crops, cotton production is likely to grow 42 per cent, while the sugarcane output is likely to fall around 9 per cent.

These numbers are based on fresh data supplied at a two-day conference of agriculture officials of states and the Centre that ended here today.

Union Agriculture Secretary RCA Jain said the estimates might be revised up again in June if the weather remained favourable till the rabi harvest, due in a month.

The latest data put the expected wheat output at 76.12 million tonnes, 17 per cent higher than last year's 65.1 million tonnes. The production of rice, both kharif and rabi, is anticipated at 87.94 million tonnes, 21 per cent higher than last year.

The output of coarse cereals, too, is projected to be close to the previous peak of 33.72 million tonnes. This is 8.5 million tonnes, or 33.3 per cent, higher than last year.

Of this, maize alone accounts for an increase of over 2.6 million tonnes, or 25 per cent, at 12.94 million tonnes.

The production of pulses is reckoned to be close to the previous record of 14.42 million tonnes, which is 3.3 million tonnes, or 29.4 per cent, more than last year.

Oilseeds are likely to break their previous output record to touch a new high of 24.97 million tonne, up 9.92 million tonne, or 66 per cent, from last year. Of the nine major oilseeds, only safflower and nigerseed were likely to record a decline in growth.

Groundnut output has been estimated to double to 8.47 million tonne, while soyabean production is set to grow 67 per cent to cross 7.6 million tonne.

The cotton output is projected to scale a new high of 12.3 million bales (of 170 kg each) this year, which is 3.67 million bales, or 42 per cent, higher than last year.

However, the jute and mesta outputs are estimated to have risen only 1.9 per cent to 11.59 million bales (of 180 kg each) from 11.37 million bales last year. While jute output climbed 4.4 per cent, that of mesta fell 22.8 per cent.

The other commercial crop likely to register a decline in production is sugarcane. Its output fell 9.3 per cent from 281.5 million tonne last year to 255.4 million tonne this year.