Grain output figures raised

The agriculture ministry has revised upwards the agricultural production figures of the previous year (2003-04), putting the foodgrain output at 212.05 million tonnes, against 210.78 million tonnes reckoned in earlier estimates released on June 3. The grain output in 2002-03, a drought year, was only 174.19 million tonnes.

The increase is mainly due to about one million-tonne hike in the output estimate for coarse cereals""from 36.8 million tonnes earlier to 37.76 million tonnes. The estimate for pulses has also been jacked up marginally from 14.89 million tonnes to 15.23 million tonnes and of oilseeds from 25 million tonnes to 25.14 million tonnes.

The production of wheat is now estimated at 72.06 million tonnes, against 72.74 million tonnes in June and, rice at 87 million tonnes, against 86.35 million tonnes earlier.

The output estimate for sugarcane, too, has been lowered from 244.48 million tonnes to 236.17 million tonnes. The estimate for cotton, on the other hand, has been raised slightly from 13.47 million bales to 13.78 million bales.

The data released today constitute the fourth estimate and would be followed by the final estimate to be put out along with the first advance estimates for the current kharif season.

Even at the revised level, the foodgrains production in 2003-04 (a good monsoon year) does not match the previous highest level of 212.85 million tonnes touched in 2001-02.