Govt expects bumper paddy output despite floods

Betraying fears of crop losses due to excessive rainfall and floods in many states, the country’s rice output is likely to rise 15 per cent this year.

According to industry sources, the rice output for the current year is estimated to hit an all time high of 110 million tonnes as against 96.35 million tonnes the previous year.

About 87 per cent of India’s total rice output is produced in the Kharif season and the balance in the Rabi season.

The total paddy output this year is expected to be about 140 million tonnes against 118 million tonnes the previous year.

But, looking at the recent devastations caused by floods in many states, traders are expecting some crop losses as well. However, the quantum would be minuscule at about 600,000 tonnes.

“The loss would be negligible considering the total output,” said V K Chaturvedi, managing director of Usher Agro, a Mumbai-based paddy and wheat processing company.

The heavy rains across all major paddy producing states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab would, however, delay the current season’s harvesting by about a fortnight. Atleast a 15-day long dry spell is required before the harvesting of paddy crop.

According to agriculture ministry estimates, paddy-sowing area increased by 21 lakh ha this year to 324.60 lakh ha as against 303.60 lakh ha last year till August 22.

The harvesting of Kharif paddy crop usually begins in the first fortnight of October but would be delayed to October 20 this year because of the excessive rainfall. This may affect the quality of rice, fear traders.

Vijay Setia, president of All India Rice Exporters’ Association, believes that only 5 per cent of the total 10 per cent early-harvested crop would be affected qualitatively because of heavy rainfall and floods.

“The quality would suffer because the crop remained drowned in flood water for over a week thereby, the growth of grain stunting. At least one per cent of the total quantity would be hit,” he added.