Govt fixes wheat, rice output target for 2007-08

NEW DELHI: The government has fixed the production target for two major food grains -- wheat and rice -- at 75.5 million tons and 93 million tons respectively for the current year, almost the same as the estimated output in 2006-07.

The target for all crops for 2007-08 crop year (June-May) is likely to be released during a two-day conference on 'Rabi Campaign' beginning September 18, a government official said.

The wheat target at 75.5 million tons production during 2007-08 is not even one per cent more than the output of 74.89 million tons estimated in the previous year.

However, the agenda paper for the Rabi campaign said: "This year we should make efforts to increase wheat production substantially. The major factors which have adversely affected wheat productivity in recent years is rise in temperature either at the tillering stage of wheat or at the grain formation stage."

The rice target includes 80 million tons production in the on-going Kharif season and 13 million tons for the Rabi season which begins with the onset of winter. The rice output was estimated at 92.76 million tons for 2006-07.

As per the National Food Security Mission programme of the government, which was launched last month in some selected districts, the country should have production of 10 million tons more rice, 8 million tons wheat and 2 million tons of pulses by the end of the 11th five-year plan (2011-12).

Among other crops, the oilseeds target has been fixed at 29.99 million tons for 2007-08 compared to 23.88 million tons output estimated for 2006-07, while pulses target has been set at 15.5 million tons against previous year's production of 14.23 million tons.