AP targets 21.8 mn tonne food grain output in 2012-13

Andhra Pradesh government has targeted for a 20 per cent increase in food grain production at 21.8 million tonnes during the current year (2012-13) on the hopes of normal monsoons and higher productivity. Among the food grains, a 50 per cent rise in pulses has been proposed for the year to 1.82 million tonnes from 1.21 million tonnes last year.

Last year's food grain output stood at 18.26 million tonnes under the impact of adverse seasonal conditions.

The annual Agriculture Action Plan covering the two seasons with production targets along with various support schemes being undertaken by the government has been released by the state agriculture minister Kanna Laxminarayana on Thursday.

 

These targets, covering the two crop seasons of ensuring Kharif as well as Rabi, however, are 7.32 per cent higher compared to near optimum farm output of 20.31 million tonnes registered in the year 2010-11.

The highest ever food grain production of 20.42 million tonnes was recorded in the year 2008-09. Rice and maize account for around 90 per cent of the food grains produced in the state.

The rice and maize output this year is proposed to be about 15.39 million tonnes and 4 million tonnes respectively with crop area remaining more or less unchanged as compared to last year. Higher productivity in paddy is anticipated due to certain governmental interventions focusing on increasing the yield levels, according to M Madhusudana Rao, Commissioner of Agriculture.

Last year's output of these two important crops stood at 18.25 million tonnes and 3.62 million tonnes respectively.

However, the acreage under pulses is expected to touch 22.15 lakh hectares this year compared to 19.29 lakh hectares last year.

Groundnut, the major oil seed crop in the state has been targeted at 1.59 million tonnes this year, which is almost equal to the actual output in 2010-11. Production of Sunflower, though a much smaller crop compared to groundnut, is expected to be more than doubled this year to 2.87 lakh tonnes from 1.05 lakh tonnes last year.

Among the commercial crops, the action plan targets suggest a 40 per cent increase at 4.75 million bales in cotton production during the current year as compared to the actual output of 3.37 million bales in 2011-12.

However, the output along with acreage of turmeric, the prices of which had crashed heavily last year, is expected to come down to 3.23 lakh tonnes in 2012-13 from 5.23 lakh tonnes last year.

Sugar crane production is expected to be marginally higher this year at 16.26 million tonnes as compared to 15.91 million tonnes last year, according to the action plan.