UP eyes 4% growth in rabi output

Notwithstanding the deficient rainfall during this monsoon, UP has set an ambitious target of 4 per cent growth for the rabi crop for 2006-07.

Against the 236 lakh tonnes of wheat produced in the last rabi season, of 2005-06, the state government has set a target of 275 lakh tonnes for the next rabi crop 2006-07, which is 16.65 per cent higher than 2005-06.

The overall target for food grains production for the next rabi crop has been set at 307 lakh tonnes against the production of 260 lakh tonnes in the last rabi season.In this decade, the best wheat production was in 2003-04, which was 300 lakh tonnes. In 2004-05, the wheat production plummeted to 268 lakh tonnes, largely due to less than normal rainfall.

The state government has formulated a multi-pronged strategy for achieving the goal of 4 per cent growth in the total production of food grains in the rabi season of 2006-07 at 308 lakh tonnes. This also included the target of the production of pulses at 25.62 lakh tones, which was 19.57 lakh tonnes in 2005-06.

Main components of the strategy include increase in the availability of short-term crop loans, better availability of fertilisers and enhancing the seeds replacement rate, particularly for the wheat crop, and increase in total cultivable land under the rabi crop.

In 2005-06, total rabi food grain production was 260 lakh tonnes.

For achieving 4 per cent growth in production, the wheat productivity target has been enhanced to 29.86 quintals per hectare against 25.72 quintals per hectare in 2005-06.

"Wheat production was adversely affected due to the weather fluctuations in 2005-06 and the current paddy crop has also suffered damages due to the late arrival of the monsoon in certain parts of the state. Rainfall in other parts of the state has also been deficient," said Agriculture Production Commissioner Anees Ansari (APC) adding, "We have no option but to compensate for the loss in current paddy crop by increasing productivity in next rabi crop.''

Ansari said though UP had an impressive profile as far as the contribution of the state to the national food kitty was concerned, a lot more was needed to be done.

At present, UP contributes 21 per cent to the national foodgrain stock, 48 per cent of sugarcane production, 38 per cent of potato production and 16 per cent of vegetables and other horticulture products.

Ansari said in the last rabi season crop loans of Rs 4,842 crore were disbursed to the farmers, which could be enhanced to Rs 5,575 crore during the 2006-07 rabi season.

He said in 2005-06 per hectare crop loan in UP was Rs 3,452, which is proposed to be increased by Rs 530 to Rs 3,982 per hectare in 2006-07.

He added for ensuring an easy availability of crop loan, the government has accorded priority to the distribution of as many as 23,000 kisan credit cards to farmers.