Kharif foodgrains output up 23 pc, still below normal level

The most interesting feature of this year's kharif season is that in spite of low production on the rice front, the overall foodgrain production was lower by 5.85 per cent at 81.7 lakh tonnes as against the normal foodgrains production of 86.78 lakh tonnes.

It is 23 per cent higher than the last year kharif foodgrains production at 66.56 lakh tonnes.

The rice production in the just concluded kharif season(2003-04) has touched 56.14 lakh tonnes, as against the normal output of 68.03 lakh tonnes, according to the provisional estimates prepared by the state government. Rice production in the last year kharif was 50.55 lakh tonnes.

This year the shortfall in the rice production as compared to normal levels is made up by cereals and pulses.

In the case of oilseeds, the groundnut production was down by 40.73 per cent, while sunflower and other oilseeds showed considerable improvement. Cotton production suffered the most.

Though the rice production has been below the normal quantum for the third consecutive season, it some what improved over the last year's(2002-03) production by about 5.59 lakh metric tonnes. Increase in average yield caused the slight increase in the output.

The provisional estimates show that the average yield of rice was at 2,662 kg a per hectare, registering 3.30 per cent increase over the normal yield level of 2,577 kg a hectare. When compared to the yield levels of last kharif season, it is 265 kg higher.

There was a phenomenal rise in the output of maize and pulses.

Greengram production topped that of all other crops in terms of growth.

While it touched 2.47 lakh tonnes against the normal production of 1.37 lakh tonnes, a whopping 79.34 per cent increase, blackgram production is estimated at 64,000 tonnes as against the normal production of 40,000 tonnes for the present kharif season. Redgram production also crossed the normal levels with 2.05 lakh tonnes as against 1.74 lakh metric tonnes.

Maize output touched 15.2 lakh tonnes as against the normal production of 10.36 lakh tonnes, registering 46.66 per cent increase over normal level.

Among cereals, bajra, though relatively small quantity-wise, registered 53.13 per cent increase over normal production. It touched 1.37 lakh tonnes against the normal level of 89,000 tonnes.

It was just 74,000 tonnes in last kharif. As against the normal production of 2.76 lakh tonnes, jowar touched 2.62 lakh tonnes.

Oil seeds showed mixed results with groundnut touching 6.13 lakh tonnes against the normal production of 10.35 lakh metric tonnes. Sunflower recorded 68.69 per cent growth over normal production.

As against the normal production of 60,000 tonnes, the production of sunflower was estimated as 1.01 lakh metric tonnes.

The total oilseed production has fallen by 30.60 per cent at 8.30 lakh tonnes, compared to the normal production. The last year's production was 7.20 lakh tonnes.

While chillies and onion production crossed the normal levels , accounting for 4.28 lakh metric tonnes(8.33 per cent) and 2.41 lakh metric tonnes(18.06 per cent) respectively.

Cotton(lint) production is estimated at 8.05 lakh bales(170 kg each)as against the normal production of 15.35 lakh bales in the 2003-04 kharif season.

Turmeric output was at 2.63 lakh metric tonnes (-13.48 per cent), while 160.16 lakh tonnes of sugar cane production is estimated, which is just 1.14 per cent below normal level.

As compared to normal production levels, mesta is lower by 29.79 per cent with 4.42 lakh metric tonnes.

Except for cotton (-30 per cent), groundnut(-29.44 per cent), mesta (-8.37 per cent)and turmeric(-2.67 per cent), the average yields of all other crops went up beyond the normal levels ranging from as low as 1.02 per cent in case of ragi to the maximum 60.28 per cent in the case of blackgram.