NEW DELHI: India’s foodgrain production for the 2016-17 crop year is estimated at record 275.68 million tonnes. The government on Wednesday revised its previous figures upward by 2.3 million tonnes and came at the new figure which is over 4 per cent higher than the previous record production achieved in the country during 2013-14.
The production in 2016-17 is significantly higher by 24.12 million tonnes (9.59 per cent) than the output of 2015-16 which was a drought year.
The revised figures, released on Wednesday, are part of the agriculture ministry’s fourth advance estimate for the year 2016-17. In its third estimate, the ministry had put the estimated production at 273.38 million tonnes (MT).
The ministry releases four advance estimates followed by final estimates of production of major agricultural crops of the country every crop year (July-June). Fourth advance estimates are considered as good as final estimates.
In order to provide sufficient time to states to take into account even the delayed information while finalizing area and yield estimates of various crops, the final estimates are released about six months after the fourth advance estimates. No revision in the state-level data is accepted after release of final estimates by the agriculture ministry.
India had recorded its previous best in the year 2013-14 when the country produced 265.04 MT of foodgrain, backed by good and well-distributed Monsoon rainfall.
The ministry attributed the all-time record of foodgrain production in 2016-17 to good rainfall in 2016 and various policy initiatives taken by it. Record output has been achieved in all major crops of foodgrain basket like rice (110.15 MT), wheat (98.38 MT) and pulses (22.95 MT).
The current crop year (2017-18) may, however, not be as good despite normal Monsoon in many parts of the country. Though the overall area under Kharif (summer season) crops this year was higher till last Friday than the corresponding period of last year, the situation has been bad in southern states and certain parts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Kerala, Karnataka, Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra, eastern Madhya Pradesh, western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana
received deficient rainfall during June 1-August 15 period, leaving these areas vulnerable.
Less rainfall in these regions means poor storage of water and lower acreage at the end of the Kharif season and also during Rabi
(winter crop) sowing operation, beginning October. If low rainfall phase continues in these areas, production of oilseeds and pulses may suffer during 2017-18.
The year 2016-17 has been quite good for both oilseeds and pulses due to significant increase in the sown area and productivity. Total production of pulses during 2016-17 is estimated at 22.95 MT which is higher by 3.70 MT (19.22 per cent) than the previous record production of 19.25 MT achieved during 2013-14.
“Production of pulses during 2016-17 is also higher by 5.32 million tonnes (30.16 per cent) than their five years’ average production. Current year’s production is higher by 6.61 million tonnes (40.41 per cent) than the previous year’s production of 16.35 million tonnes”, said the ministry while releasing its fourth advance estimates.
With an increase of 6.85 million tonnes (27.11 per cent) over the previous year, total oilseeds production in the country is estimated at 32.10 million tonnes. The production of oilseeds during 2016-17 is also higher by 2.84 million tonnes (9.72 per cent) than the five year’s average oilseeds production.
Production of sugar-cane is, however, estimated at 306.72 million tonnes which is lower by 41.73 million tonnes (-11.98 per cent) than the last year’s production of 348.45 million tonnes.
On the other hand, higher productivity of cotton has resulted into higher production of 33.09 million bales (of 170 kg each) during 2016-17 despite lower area coverage. It, in fact, recorded an increase of 10.29 per cent, as compared to 30.01 million bales during 2015-16.
Oilseeds, cotton and sugar-cane are not parts of the country’s foodgrain basket. Therefore, estimated production of these crops is calculated separately.