The Centre on Tuesday said that production of Rabi crops will be about 1.6 per cent higher at 132.78 million tonnes (mt) in 2015-16 compared with 130.75 mt produced last crop year (July-June).

Speaking on the sidelines of the ‘Rabi Conference’ here on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said his Ministry was confident that there will be no shortfall in Rabi output.

Soil moisture improves The winter cropping season accounts for 51 per cent of total foodgrain production in India.

“The rainfall deficit is currently at 14 per cent, which is worse than last year. However, the overall crop area during the Kharif season is higher than last year. We have also had good rain over the past few days and this will improve soil moisture for Rabi crops,” said Singh.

Rainfall deficit According to the India Meteorological Department data, the rainfall deficit between June 1 and September 21 stood at 14 per cent due to successive shortfalls in July and August after an excess in June.

Rainfall has been steady in the first three weeks of September, first in the South Peninsula, which had been the most deprived of precipitation through the monsoon, and then Central and North India.

Duty on pulses “Crop coverage under Kharif cereals as on September is 54.94 million hectares, more than the normal for the corresponding week of 2014-15,” said Singh. He added that the Ministry has proposed an import duty on pulses for Indian farmers to receive remunerative prices.

There is no import duty on pulses at present and officials said that a 10 per cent duty had been suggested.

“We will procure pulses the same way rice and wheat are lifted,” Singh said.

The Ministry is targeting 4 per cent growth in agriculture and allied sectors this fiscal, after recording just 0.2 per cent growth in the category last year.

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