Foodgrain productivity rose by 8% to 1,921 kg per hectare in 2010-11 crop year, Parliament was informed today.
India's foodgrain productivity stood at 1,798 kg per hectare in the 2009-10 crop year (July-June), Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
"The productivity of foodgrains has increased from 1,715 kg per hectare in 2005-06 to 1,798 kg per hectare in 2009-10 and further to 1,921 kg per hectare in 2010-11," Rawat said.
The average annual growth in the agriculture and allied sectors during the first four years of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) was 3.2% as against the targeted rate of 4%, he added.
"The average growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of agriculture and allied sectors suffered a setback due to severe drought in many parts of the country during 2009-10 and drought/deficient rainfall in some states namely Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and East Uttar Pradesh in 2010-11," he said.
However, the GDP growth for agriculture sector touched 6.6% in 2010-11 -- the highest growth rate achieved in last six years -- on account of the corrective actions taken by the government, the minister informed the house.
Rawat also said that investments in the farm sector in the country have been increasing in the past five years.
"The level of investment (Gross Capital Formation) in the agriculture sector has been increasing over the years from Rs 76,096 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 1,33,377 crore in 2009-10, he noted.
This includes public sector investment from 16,187 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 23,635 crore in 2009-10 and private sector investment from Rs 59,909 crore to Rs 1,09,742 crore in the same period at 2004-05 prices, Rawat added.
