Rice output may dip 12 MT this kharif

The overall rice production in the country is likely to decline by around 12 million tonnes (MT) to 87 MT during the current kharif season. In the same season last year, the rice production stood at 99 MT.

It was initially estimated that the decline in rice production during the current season would go up to 15 MT as the country received deficit rainfall during the south-west monsoon. However, the shortfall was pegged at 12 MT as the paddy crop was better than expected in major rice producing states such as Punjab and Haryana, which have better irrigation facilities compared with other states in the country, according to ITC Agri Business Division chief executive, S Sivakumar.

Due to the prevailing drought conditions, the area under rice this year has declined by 16.8 per cent to 30.8 million hectares from 37.1 million hectares last year. “This is the single biggest decline in area when compared with other crops,” Sivakumar told Business Standard adding that there could be a decline in productivity also on account of late sowing.

Besides rice, sugarcane and groundnut are expected to register a significant decline in production. Though the area under sugarcane has marginally declined to 4.25 million hectares from 4.37 million hectares last year, Sivakumar said the crop’s productivity was affected due to moisture stress.

Consequently, India would be forced to import sugar to meet the rising domestic demand. There is also a 16 per cent decline in the area under groundnut this year to 4.29 million hectares from 5.11 million hectares last year. This is expected to result in a significant fall in its output.

Sivakumar said that a 7-8 per cent reduction was anticipated in the overall yield of soybean though the area under the crop remained more or less the same as last year at 9.52 million hectares. Soybean output was expected to be around 8.7 MT this year as against 9.4 MT last year. Also, the total area under pulses has risen 4.6 per cent to 9.61 million hectares from 9.19 million hectares in the previous year.