Government expects 4.4 per cent rise in kharif output

Despite widespread damage caused by floods during the current monsoon season, foodgrains production in the 2019 kharif season could be at a record 148 million tonnes (mt), nearly 4.4 per cent more than the projected output of 141.71 mt in the corresponding season in the previous year.

According to data released by the Agriculture Ministry ahead of the rabi campaign here on Friday, there will be a substantial increase in output of coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds in the ongoing kharif season, while production of rice would remain more or less the same.

While the production of coarse cereals will be close to 36 mt as against 31 mt projected in the 4 advance estimates of food production in 2018-19, pulses output would cross 10 mt against an estimated 8.59 mt in the previous year.

Oilseeds production is expected to go up by 20 per cent to 25.84 mt in the 2019 kharif season. This year’s kharif rice output is expected to be 102 mt, almost the same as last year’s kharif estimates.

For the whole year, the government has set a foodgrain target of 291.1 mt, nearly 2.2 per cent more than the 284.95 mt expected for 2018-19 per the 4 advance estimates. According to Parshottam Rupala, Minister of State for Agriculture, a better harvest is anticipated because of good rains.

“Both kharif and rabi crop yields are expected to be very good this year, thanks to the bountiful rains received during the current monsoon season,” said Rupala, inaugurating the rabi campaign meeting.

Later briefing the media on the sidelines, Agricultural Commissioner SK Malhotra said: “We are all set to have better foodgrains output. Even though the floods have affected 12 States, their adverse impact is limited to smaller areas in most of these States.”

Good rabi prospects

Now that the departure of the monsoon is delayed, more rains are expected in the coming days. Farmers are expected to exploit the better soil moisture conditions for their winter crops, Malhotra said.

Also aiding them is the healthy water levels in reservoirs. “Water levels in as many as 97 reservoirs are at more than 80 per cent. This will ensure we have an excellent rabi crop this year,” Malhotra said.