Foodgrains production likely to cross 25 crore tonne in 2012-13

AHMEDABAD: India is likely to produce 250.14 million tonnes of foodgrains during 2012-13 (includes kharif 2012 and rabi crops in the field at present), said a government data. This, despite a drop of 7 million tonnes in production during kharif, owing to erratic monsoons.

As per the second advance estimates of crop production released on Friday by the Agriculture ministry, production of major crops except pulses is likely to be less than last year, which happened to be the year of record food-grain production helped by a favourable monsoon.

In the present crop year (2012-13), despite deficient and late rainfall in many parts of the country in the monsoon season, the estimated production is higher than the foodgrain production achieved any time before last year, showing the growing resilience of Indian agriculture. As per the second estimate rice production will fall by 3 lakh tonne to 101.80 million tonne from the 105.31 million tonne of 2011-12 crop year.

In case of wheat production will be 92.30 million tonne from 94.88 million tonne. Only pulses will see higher production (17.58 million tonne) compared to 17.09 million tonne of last year.

A number of initiatives have been taken in recent years to increase production of pulses, including raising MSP of main pulses crops significantly and special schemes to encourage farmers to adopt modern agronomic practices inpu lses production.

The assessment of production of different crops is based on the feedback received from states and validated with information available from other sources.