Production of rice in Kharif 2019 season is seen declining by 8 per cent to around 93.74 million tonnes as against last year’s final estimate of 102.13 m t for the season, according to National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC).

According to its latest estimates, NBHC expects production of pulses and maize among other kharif crops to be lower than that of the previous year as excess monsoon rains and flooding hurt the cultivation of these crops.

Rice and pulses cultivation has been most hit in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, NBHC said..

Monsoon rains during 2019 had been 110 per cent over its (Long term Average) LPA with maximum in Central India, followed by Southern Peninsula, Northwest and Northeast respectively. The widespread flooding witnessed in 13 States between late July and early August 2019, due to incessant rains impacted the acreage and production of several kharif crops.

Production of kharif maize is expected to be 11 per cent lower at 16.72 mt as against previous year’s 19.04 mt. Pulses production is projected to drop significantly. Moong production is expected to be 27.38 per cent lower at 1.33 million over last kharif’s 1.84 mt.

Urad output is seen lower by 18.38 per cent at 2.08 mt over last year’s 2.56 mt. Production of tur is seen lower by 10.47 per cent at 3.21 mt over last year’s 3.59 mt. The dip in pulses output is mainly due to crop damage in states such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, NBHC said.

Total oilseed output is estimated to be 16.21 mt , about 24 per cent lower than 21.27 mt in kharif last year. Soyabean output is down by a third while groundnut production is seen lower by a tenth. Sugar cane output is down by 22 per cent, while cotton production is seen rising by 3.2 per cent to 29.64 million bales, it said.

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