Foodgrain output at record 271.98 million tonnes

New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) The total foodgrain production in the country was estimated at 271.98 million tonnes in 2016-17, the Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday.

The ministry called it a record as bumper harvest was expected in rice, wheat, coarse cereals, maize, pulses, tur (pigeon pea), urad (split black gram) and oil seeds such as soyabean, castor seed and groundnut.

The ministry arrived at the estimates after assessment of production of different crops based on the feedback received from states and using information obtained from other sources.

"As per Second Advance Estimates for 2016-17, total foodgrain production in the country is estimated at 271.98 million tonnes, which is higher by 6.94 million tonnes than the previous record production of 265.04 million tonnes achieved during 2013-14," an official statement said.

"The current year's production is also higher by 14.97 million tonnes than the previous five years' (2011-12 to 2015-16) average production of foodgrain. The current year's production is significantly higher by 20.41 million tonnes than last year's food grain production."

The rice production is estimated at 108.86 million tonnes, which is higher by 2.21 million tonnes.

Wheat output, estimated at 96.64 million tonnes, too is higher than the previous record production of 95.85 million tonnes in 2013-14.

"Production of coarse cereals estimated at a new record level of 44.34 million tonnes, which is higher than the average production by 3 million tonnes. It is higher than the previous record production of 43.40 million tonnes achieved in 2010-11 by 0.94 million tonnes."

The ministry said the significant increase in the area coverage and productivity of all major pulses led to a total production in 2016-17 of 22.14 million tonnes.

"With an increase of 8.35 million tonnes over the previous year, total oilseeds production is estimated at record level of 33.60 million tonnes. It is higher by 0.85 million tonnes than the previous record production of 2013-14," the statement said.

The ministry said the higher productivity of cotton had resulted in higher production of 32.51 million bales (of 170 kg each) as compared to 30.01 million bales during 2015-16.

But the production of sugarcane and jute and mesta was estimated to be lower this year.

"Production of sugarcane is estimated at 309.98 million tonnes, which is lower by 38.46 million tonnes than last year.

"Production of jute and mesta is estimated at 10.06 million tonnes (of 180 kg each) is marginally lower than the production of 10.52 million bales during last year," it said.

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