Foodgrain production records growth of 10-12 mn tons: Official

COIMBATORE: Despite pessimism about the growth in the agriculture sector, India has achieved a record foodgrain production of 227 million tons in 2007-08, registering a growth of 10 to 12 million tons over the previous fiscal, a top official said here on Tuesday.

With an addition of two to three million tons during the Rabi season, it would touch 230 million tons, which certainly would be a milestone in foodgrain production, Agriculture Secretary P K Mishra said.

There seemed to be a revival in the sector, as 4-4.23 per cent growth has been recorded for the last two years, compared to two per cent from 1994 to 2004, he said.

The growth was not only in foodgrains, but also in cotton and sugarcane over the last two years, which has to be sustained for another three to five years, Mishra, said while inaugurating a two-day 'Stakeholders' workshop on supply chain management on agricultural commodities.'

Production in horticulture sector was also expected to be doubled by the end of 11th plan period, he said and cautioned that this growth would definitely throw up new and complex challenges of finding suitable market for the surpluses and strengthening/development of supply chains to avail tangible benefits out of this development.