2017-18 foodgrain output soars to record 279.51 mt
16 May 2018 7:23 PM GMT
New Delhi: India is estimated to have harvested a record 279.51 million tonnes (MT) of foodgrains in the 2017-18 crop year ending next month, up 1.6 per cent from the previous year, on good monsoon and higher support price, the government on Wednesday said.
The country achieved an all-time high production in all four foodgrains -- rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses -- during 2017-18 crop year (July-June), according to the third advance estimates released by the agriculture ministry.
In the second advance estimates released in February this year, the ministry had projected foodgrains production at 277.49 MT tonnes for the current crop year. The bumper crop has led to a steep fall in prices of some agri-commodities like pulses and sugar causing distress to farmers. The government has started procurement to ensure support price to farmers.
According to the data, rice output is estimated at record 111.52 MT as against 109.7 million tonnes in the 2016-17 fiscal. The production of wheat during 2017-18 is estimated at record 98.61 MT as against 98.51 MT in the previous year. Coarse cereals output is also seen at record 44.87 MT tonnes as against 43.77 MT achieved during 2016-17.
"Total pulses production during 2017-18 is estimated at record 24.51 MT which is higher by 1.37 MT than the previous year's production of 23.13 MT," the statement said.
In non-foodgrains category, oilseeds production is estimated to have declined to 30.64 MT in 2017-18 from 31.28 MT in the previous year.
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