The country needs to increase its annual foodgrains production by 1.34 per cent to meet the output target of 280.6 million tonnes (mt) by 2020-21, Parliament was informed today.

This assessment has been made by the National Centre for Agricultural Economics & Policy Research (NCAP) of agri research body, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Charan Das Mahant, said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

“Taking into account the current year’s estimated production of 250.42 million tonnes of foodgrains, the average annual increase of 1.34 per cent would be required to achieve the production level of 280.6 million tonnes of foodgrains by 2020-21,” he said.

To another question, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, replied that the demand for rice and wheat for the terminal year of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2016-17) is estimated at 110.21 mt and 89.06 mt respectively.

He said according to the second advance estimates for 2011-12, against the demand of 98.79 mt of rice and 77.36 mt of wheat, production would be at 102.75 mt and 88.31 mt respectively, during the year.

Mr Pawar said in order to enhance foodgrains output, a number of crop development schemes and programmes, including the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and the Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize (SOPOM), are in operation.

To achieve higher agricultural productivity, ICAR is also conducting basic and strategic research related to crop improvement, production and protection technologies in pulses and other crops, Mr Mahant said.

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