Food production will be higher this year: Jaitley

Says sowing has been reasonably good

Buoyed by reports of 'reasonably good sowing', Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today expressed confidence that the country's food production this year would be much more than last year's despite less than normal rainfall.

"Information that has come is that sowing has been reasonably good and therefore the food production would be much more than last year. How much more is yet to be seen. I cannot accurately tell you the figure. Only at the end of the season, we will know the accurate figure," he said.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, he said even though rainfall was likely to be less than normal, food production would be much higher.

Asked about deficit rainfall this year, he said: "You had fair amount of rains in July, but in August it was a little low. September so far has not been satisfactory, but last two to three days, it has picked up."

Although there were predictions, only after the monsoon season ended, the Meteorological department can give a final figure. "Of course by all likelihood it is going to be less than normal," Jaitley added.