Foodgrains Production in 2010-11 Estimated at 232.07 MT

The second advance estimates of crop production for 2010-11 have been released February 09.

We are likely to produce 232.07 million tonnes of foodgrains during 2010-11 compared to 218.11 million tonnes last year. This is only marginally below the record production of 234.47 million tonnes of foodgrains in 2008-09. We are likely to achieve record production of wheat (81.47 million tonnes), pulses (16.51 million tonnes) and cotton (339.27 lakh bales of 170 kg. each) this year.

Central Statistics Office (CSO) has estimated that the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector is likely to show a growth of 5.4% in its GDP during 2010-11, as against the previous year’s growth of 0.4%. The second advance estimates of crop production for 2010-11 confirm the findings of CSO.

It may be noted that such a high level of production will be achieved despite significant crop damage due to widespread drought in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal and the effects of cyclones, unseasonal & heavy rains, and severe cold wave & frost conditions in several parts of the country.

The major credit for this second highest ever production goes to the resilience shown by our farmers. However, their efforts would not have yielded such rich dividends without the backing of our scientists and the extension machinery in the States. The Central Government has supported these efforts through several policy initiatives. There has been huge increase in investment in recent years – Gross Capital Formation in Agriculture as a proportion of agricultural GDP has gone up from 14.1% in 2004-05 to 21.3% in 2008-09. Flow of agriculture credit in 2010-11 is likely to reach Rs.4 lakh crore from the level of Rs.86,981 crore in 2003-04. MSPs of major crops such as paddy, wheat and pulses have increased by between 75% to 125% between 2004-05 and 2010-11. Adequate and timely supply of agricultural inputs including seeds and fertilizers has been ensured. Focused interventions under several schemes including Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Food Security Mission, Accelerated Pulses Production Programme have helped the farmers in achieving bumper crop production.

The production estimates for major crops for 2010-11 are as follows:

Foodgrains – 232.07 million tonnes

Rice – 94.01 million tonnes

Wheat – 81.47 million tonnes

Coarse Cereals – 40.08 million tonnes

Maize – 20.03 million tonnes

Pulses – 16.51 million tonnes

Tur – 3.18 million tonnes

Urad – 1.45 million tonnes

Moong – 1.12 million tonnes

Oilseeds – 27.85 million tonnes

Soyabean – 10.47 million tonnes

Groundnut – 6.81 million tonnes

Cotton – 33.93 million bales of 170 kg each.