AP sets 21 mt food production target for 2010-11

Andhra Pradesh has set a food-grain production target of 20.98 million tonne during 2010-11. It plans to increase the total cultivated area to 12.48 million hectare as against the season normal of 11.67 million hectare, according to agriculture minister N Raghuveera Reddy.

Due to adverse seasonal conditions in 2009-10, the food-grain production had fallen to 14.97 million tonne. Only 10.91 million hectare were sown last year. However, the food-grain production had touched 20.42 million tonne in 2008-09. The normal food production in the state is about 17.38 million tonne, he said.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said the state ranked number one in the country in maize productivity and also in bengal gram productivity and production. The state ranked second in rice production and third in overall food-grain production.

It also ranked first in agricultural and crop-loan disbursements, which were Rs 37,574 crore during 2009-10. The state for this season set a target of Rs 41,913 crore, he said

The state proposed to distribute four million quintal seed during 2010-11 including 2.6 million quintal under subsidy (worth Rs 372.5 crore). The total seed requirement during kharif 2010 was 2.8 million.

The fertliser consumption during the year was estimated to be 7.12 million tonne including 3.67 million tonne during the kharif, he said.