Foodgrain production target for 2017-18 raised 1.3%

Foodgrain production target for 2017-18 crop year beginning July has been kept at 276.55 million tonnes (mt), says the agriculture ministry . This is an increase of 1.3 per cent over its initial forecast made in April. Even, with rainfall deficit at 6 per cent and floods in parts of India, officials say kharif production this year will be simi lar to previous year owing to excellent crop condition.

It expects rabi planting to be higher over the previous year owing to rains in September leading to good soil moisture.

“Foodgrain production target for 2017-18 has been kept at 276.55 mt,“ says SK Malhotra, agriculture commissioner in the department of agriculture. This is 0.32 per cent higher than the fourth advance estimate which pegs 2016-17 production at 275.68 mt. Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said he has written to the state governments to devise a strategy to double farmer's income by 2022 and focus on production to post-production activities.