AP expects 10% rise in foodgrain output

The Andhra Pradesh government today announced the agriculture action plan for the year 2011-12 covering kharif and rabi seasons. It has projected a 10 per cent growth in foodgrain production at 22.8 million tonne compared with 20.7 million tonne registered last year. Production of rice, the major foodgrain crop of Andhra, is expected to be at 15.8 million tonne as compared with the actual production of 15 million tonne last year.

Among other crops, production of oilseeds is targeted to be at 2.9 million tonne for the year compared with the actual production of 1.9 million tonne last year. With regard to commercial crops, the agriculture department estimates a huge jump in cotton production this time to 6 million tonne from 4.8 million tonne produced last year.

The department expects production of 12.2 million tonne foodgrain during kharif -11 as against 9.9 million tonne of actual production in last kharif.