The agriculture ministry has scaled down crop production estimates for 2002-03. Total foodgrains output for the last fiscal has now been pegged at 182.57 million tonnes, against the previous estimate of 184.06 million tonnes.
Thus, output in 2002-03 fell an estimated 29.45 million tonnes, or 13.9 per cent, from 212.02 million tonnes in the previous year.
The fourth advance estimates released today lowered output projections for rice, wheat and pulses, but raised it for coarse cereals.
Among commercial crops, oilseed and cotton output figures have been scaled up, while those of jute and mesta have been lowered. The final estimates will be compiled later on.
According to the latest figures, rice production in 2002-03 was 75.72 million tonnes, against 76.91 million tonnes estimated in April and 93.08 million tonnes actually bagged in 2001-02.
Thus, compared to the previous year, rice output dropped 17.36 million tonnes in 2002-03. Last season
