India produced a record quantity of foodgrains in the last crop year at 233.87 million tonnes (MT), surpassing the previous high in 2007-08 by about 3 MT.
"Despite vicissitudes of weather, total foodgrain production increased from 230.77 MT in 2007-08 to 233.87 MT in 2008-09 as per the fourth advance estimates," Minister of State for Agriculture K V Thomas told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply last week.
Some states had witnessed delayed rains last year, which impacted Kharif sowing a bit.
Though the fourth advance estimate has raised foodgrains production by over 4 MT against the earlier estimate of 229.85 MT released in May, a final output projection is yet to come.
Nevertheless, the government achieved its target of foodgrains production of 233 MT in 2008-09. Foodgrains comprise rice, wheat, pulses and coarse cereals.
As the Centre is yet to release fourth advance estimates of production of different crops during 2008-09, the crop-wise data could not be available.
The government releases four advance estimates followed by a final projection of foodgrains production for every year.
