Govt finding it tough to meet kharif foodgrain output target

Kharif sowing is nearing an end and the harvesting will start from next month. The Ministry will release the first advance estimate of kharif foodgrains production next week.

The ministry is targeting foodgrains output of 250 million tonnes in the 2012-13 crop year (July-June). Of this, a little more than half the production comes from the kharif season.

"This year, the country is facing tough time in agricultural production due to delayed onset of monsoon, which has further aggravated by deficient rainfall in major foodgrains producing states," Agriculture Secretary Ashish Bahuguna said at the national workshop here on improving agricultural statistics.

Poor rains have posed a "serious challenge in achieving production targets for current kharif season", he noted.

The overall monsoon deficiency has come down to 8 per cent so far. However, sowing of kharif crops such as rice, coarse cereals and pulses has been affected in some parts, especially Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan, which have declared drought in more than 390 taluks.

Recently, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had said that the gap in sowing area is wide in drought-affected states and production of coarse cereals and pulses is expected to be lower than last year.

In the 2011-12 crop year, the country had harvested a record 257.44 million tonnes of foodgrains, of which rice was 104.32 million tonnes and wheat, 93.90 million tonnes. MORE