'Kharif crops output likely to be far lower than last year'

Minister says production of kharif crops is impacted by overall rainfall situation in the country

Production of kharif crops during 2014-15 is likely to be "far below" than the record output achieved last year, Parliament was informed today.

Foodgrains production in the 2013-14 crop year (July-June) stood at 264.38 million tonnes (MT), of which 129.37 MT output was from kharif (summer crops).

"...as per preliminary trends on sowing and present rainfall scenario in the country, production of kharif crops during 2014-15 is likely to be far below the record levels of production achieved during the last year," Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Kumar Balyan said in a written reply.

Balyan also informed that so far the first advance estimate of foodgrains production during the year 2014-15 have not been prepared, as it is normally released in September every year.

The Minister said production of kharif crops is impacted by overall rainfall situation in the country.

In reply to another query, Balyan said that as per reports of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) quantitatively, the monsoon 2014 season rainfall was 41 per deficient across the country as on July 14.

And the sowing of kharif crops including rice, pulses, oil seeds and all other major crops as on July 11 was at 157.35 lakh hectares against 269.82 lakh hectares of normal area in the corresponding period last year, the minister added.

Balyan said the sowing progress is being reviewed with states on a regular basis. And to tackle deficit rainfall situation, states have prepared district wise contingency plans in consultation with Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA).

The Minister said government has prepared agricultural contingency plans for 520 districts covering 23 states to tackle deficit rainfall.