Record food grain production estimated for 2007-08

New Delhi, Feb 7 (UNI) Agriculture Ministry today released the second Advance Estimates of production of major crops grown in the country, predicting an all time record food grain production of 219 Million Tonnes (MT) for 2007-08.

The country was set to touch all time high production levels in rice, maize and soyabean. The cotton production had also touched an all time high, according to the government estimates prepared on the basis of feedbacks from the States' independent sources.

The rice production was expected to touch 94.08 MT, an all time high record. The situation was no different for maize (16.78 MT) and soyabean (9.45 MT) for the year, figures that had never been achieved sofar, official sources said.

The cotton production was estimated to be at 23.38 million bales of 170 kg each, again an all time high record.

The total food grain estimates include 74.81 MT of wheat, 36.09 MT of coarse cereals and 14.34 MT of pulses. Oilseeds production during 2007-08 was estimated at 27.16 MT with groundnut estimated at 7.29 MT, soyabean at 9.45 MT and rapeseed and mustard at 7.07 MT.

Production of sugarcane was estimated at 340.32 MT for the year.

The rice production had increased by 700,000 tonnes compared to 2006-07, and coarse cereals production was estimated to increase by about two MT (mainly contributed by maize) during the period.

The oilseeds production was estimated to increase by about three million tonnes (mainly contributed by groundnut) and cotton by about 7.5 lakh bales during 2007-08 over 2006-07, sources said.

UNI MCN SHB HT207