Govt confident of good kharif crop production

The government today said there is no need to worry about monsoon as the sowing process is on track and it is confident of good kharif crop production.

"There is no cause of concern (about monsoon), sowing is going well and I am confident that production will be good," Agriculture secretary P K Basu told reporters here.

Basu noted the rising fertiliser demand reflects that the pace of sowing activity is satisfactory and the acreage so far is more than last year.

"Fertiliser demand is very high, which shows sowing is progressing well. Crop coverage-wise, we are better, even compared to 2008," he added.

India's foodgrain production declined to 218.2 million tonnes in 2009-10 crop year (July-June) as against 234.47 million tonnes in the previous year due to severe drought last year that hit almost half of the country.

Rice output had plunged to 89.13 million tonnes last year from a record 99.18 million tonnes in 2008-09. Last week, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, too, had said that foodgrains production would be better than last year.