State targets 16% rise in foodgrain output in FY11

Even as the Indian Meteorological Department has projected a lower side of the normal monsoon this year, which is crucial for the success of kharif, Karnataka aims to achieve a growth of 16.1 per cent in its foodgrain production during the year 2010-11 at 12.37 million tonnes.

The state, which witnessed both drought and floods during the last kharif season, saw its foodgrain production drop by 5.5 per cent to 10.65 million metric tons during the year 2009-10 compared to the previous year. The state had lost kharif crops in about two million hectares due to flash floods in September 2009.

Kharif accounts for a majority of the state’s foodgrain output annually.

For the year 2010-11, the state is eyeing a modest growth of 12.3 per cent in pulses at 1.1 million tonnes and a 16.5 per cent growth in cereals at 11.26 million tonnes. It has set a target of 59.5 per cent growth in oilseeds production for the year at 1.76 million tonnes. The state plans to increase cotton production by 37.4 per cent to 918,000 bales, according to a presentation by the state agriculture department at the national conference on agriculture recently.

However, sugarcane production is estimated to fall marginally, by 5 per cent, to 20.5 mn tonnes going by the present sowing rate across the state.

During the present kharif season, the state has projected a 3 per cent rise in the actual area under cultivation to 7.25 million hectares compared to last year.

To achieve the targets for the year, the state agriculture department plans to distribute 768,000 tonnes of certified seeds at a 50 per cent subsidy to farmers. It has allocated Rs 230 crore for the purpose. The seed replacement ration has been enhanced to 31 per cent from 28 per cent last year.

For the kharif season, the state requires 2.36 million tonnes of fertiliser and in order to avert any crisis in the supply of fertiliser, the state has asked the Centre to supply 2.26 million tonnes of fertiliser to the state. The department of agriculture has submitted a plan to the Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers. It has allocated Rs 400 crore to the Karnataka Cooperative Marketing Federation to stock 550,000 tonnes of fertiliser.

The state has sought an allotment of 800,000 tonnes of urea, 600,000 tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), 290,000 tonnes of muriate of potash and 570,000 tonnes of complex fertiliser during the kharif season.

To overcome the shortage of labour, the state is emphasising mechanisation. Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has made a budgetary allocation of Rs 120 crore for the purpose. He has proposed a 50 per cent subsidy on select farm equipment.