India’s foodgrain production is estimated to rise by 2.66 per cent to a new record of 305.43 mt in the current crop year 2020-21 (July-June). The record harvest will be driven by better output of rice, wheat and pulses amid good monsoon rains last year, the Agriculture Ministry has said. In the 2019-20 crop year, the country’s foodgrain output, comprising wheat, rice, pulses and coarse cereals, stood at a record 297.5 mt. 

Releasing the third advance estimates for the 2020-21 crop year, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has attributed the rise in production to efforts of the farmers and scientists as well as policies of the Central government.

According to the data, rice production is pegged at a record 121.46 mt in the 2020-21 crop year as against 118.87 mt in the previous year. Wheat production is estimated to increase to a record 108.75 mt in 2020-21 from 107.86 mt in the previous year, while output of coarse cereals is likely to increase to 49.66 mt from 47.75 mt a year ago. Pulses output is estimated at 25.56 mt as compared with 23.03 mt in 2019-20 crop year. 

In the non-foodgrain category, production of oilseeds is estimated at 36.56 mt in 2020-21 as against 33.21 mt in the previous year. Sugarcane production is pegged at 392.79 mt from 370.50 mt in the previous year, while cotton output is expected to be higher at 36.49 million bales (170 kg each) from 36.07 million bales in the previous year.