Record rabi production of nearly 150 million tonnes (mt) would take India’s annual foodgrain output to an all-time high 292 mt in 2019-20 even as the country eyes a whopping target of 298 mt in the coming crop year.

According to the second advance crop estimates released by the Agriculture Ministry at the national kharif conference on Thursday, bumper wheat production of 106.21 mt this year would help the country achieve rabi output of 149.6 mt compared to 139 mt in the previous rabi season. Wheat production last year was around 99 mt.

The rabi prospects looked up this year mainly because of the excess monsoon rainfall the country received last year, filling reservoirs in most parts of the country.

Almost all major rabi crops this season did better than last year. The most impressive performance was of winter rice, with output slated to be 15.53 mt as against 13.63 mt in the previous season; maize was 8.22 mt (7.58 mt in 2019 season); and sorghum stood at 2.66 mt (1.84 million tonnes).

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For the next year, States have been given the target of producing 298 mt (2020-21). While the target for rice and wheat remains more or less the same as 2019-20, targets for coarse cereals and pulses are up by nearly 3.5 mt and 2.5 mt, respectively, at 48.7 mt and 25.6 mt, said Agriculture Commissioner SK Malhotra at the conference, chaired by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

While seeds of most kharif crops are abundantly available for sowing, the shortage of quality soyabean seeds may be a concern. According to Malhotra, there could be a shortfall of nearly 12 per cent of soyabean seeds as the recent untimely rains affected harvesting of the seeds.

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