Agricultural Output May Grow By 3 To 4%

The glorious uncertainties of the monsoon have been truly represented in the rainfall fluctuations this season. The crop outlook, too, has been swaying at tandem. The big hope on the economic front generated by an excellent start of the monsoon gradually gave way to cautious optimism as it sagged in the middle of season. But the confidence level has risen again with the revival of rains towards the fag end of the monsoon season.

Barring sugarcane, most other commercial crops are set to perform better than in last couple of years. The plantation sector, as also horticultural crops, are also projected to register perceptible output growth, keeping the prices depressed in many cases due to oversupply.

On the whole, analysts feel, the performance of the agriculture sector will give the economy a definite push but may fall short of kick-starting it as was expected earlier. Though it is premature to hazard a precise estimate at this stage as most crops are still in the fields, the growth rate in farm production (in the kharif season) may remain between 3 and 4 per cent, instead of 6 to 7 per cent anticipated earlier.

According to the weather office, 28 of the country