Foodgrain production beats all-time record in 2007-08

New Delhi, Jul 9 (UNI) Foodgrain production in 2007-08 has beaten all records at 230.67 million tonnes(mt), which is 13.39 mt more than the last year production, with better prospectus for current Kharif (summer) crops output owing to a rise in sown area due to favourable monsoon rainfall.

Officially releasing the fourth advance estimates, Agriculture Secretary P K Mishra said production of rice had been estimated at 96.43 mt against 93.35 mt last year and for wheat at 78.40 against 75.81 mt last year. Coarse cereal jumped from 33.92 mt to 40,73 mt while maize increased from 15.10 mt to 19.31 mt.

Output of pulses also rose to 15.11 mt from 14.20 mt.

Similarly, production of nine oilseeds also registered an increase from 24.29 to 28.82 mt. Groundnut yield too rose from 4.86 to 9,36 mt and soybean(kharif) from 8.85 to 9.99 mt.

Production of cotton production too increased to 25.81 million bales from 22.63 million bales last year.

Mr Mishra said Bihar showed the highest growth in foodgrain production at 10 per cent followed by Rajashtan, Punjab, UP and Chhattisgarh. And, besides attributing the rise in farm production to the hardwork of farmers, Mr Mishra said distribution of more quantity of better quality seed by the government, making available more farm credit from banks and financial institutes and better coordination of Union Agriculture Ministry with the States also contributed to the record farm production.

Mr Mishra was optimistic that production of the current Kharif crops would be more than that of last year as area under summer crops has increased 10 to 30 per cent compared to last year.

He also said when the government would feel that there is surplus production and no threat to food security of the country, the present ban on export of foodgrains and pulses would be lifted.

UNI JSS AKJ AS1849