Haryana fixes 152 lakh tonne foodgrain target

Chandigarh, Aug 11 (UNI) The Haryana government has fixed the total foodgrain production target of over 152 lakh tonnes for the current financial year as compared to the foodgrain production of 147.63 lakh tonnes achieved during the last year.

Agriculture Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha today said this target of foodgrain production comprised 50 lakh tonnes for Kharif and over 102 lakh tonnes for Rabi season.

He said production targets of sugarcane, cotton and oilseeds were fixed at 11.25 lakh tonnes (gur), 23.90 lakh bales and 11.80 lakh tonnes respectively.

He said the total production of oilseeds remained of the order of 8.35 lakh tonnes which included production of 25 thousand tonnes of sunflower and 8 thousand tonnes of Kharif oilseeds during the last financial year.

A target of 141.58 lakh tonnes of foodgrains production was fixed for the last financial year which comprised 41.83 lakh tonnes for Kharif and 99.75 lakh tonnes for Rabi season.

Similarly, the production targets for sugarcane, cotton and oilseeds were fixed at 9 lakh tonnes (gur), 21 lakh bales and 13.10 lakh tonnes oilseeds respectively.

He said fairly good and well-distributed rains received during Kharif, 2006 not only proved helpful for bringing larger area under plough but also encouraged the growth of entire Kharif crops.

Consequently, the state managed to harvest an all time record Kharif foodgrain production of about 44.98 lakh tonnes which included the record production of 33.71 lakh tonnes of rice and 10.24 lakh tonnes of bajra, the main cereal crop of Kharif season.

UNI