Foodgrain output may surpass last year's level: Shobhana Pattanayak, Agriculture Secretary

PTI| Jul 08, 2018, 11.22 AM IST

India's foodgrain output could exceed last year's record of 279.51 million tonne (MT) buoyed by favourable monsoon, higher MSP and likely increase in crop productivity, an official said.

Agriculture Secretary Shobhana Pattanayak exuded confidence that sowing, which is lagging behind so far, will pick up in the coming weeks with wide coverage of rainfall in all growing states.

Moreover, farmers will now be enthused to bring more acreage on the back of sharp increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for all 14 kharif crops announced last week.

The sowing area of kharif crops like paddy is currently lower than the last year because of deficit rains in some parts of the country, he added.

Sowing of kharif crops begins from June with the onset of southwest monsoon and harvesting takes place from October onwards. "The shortfall in acreage will be made up in the coming weeks. We will definitely exceed last year's production," Pattanayak told .

This year's situation is "much better", and is not like what was witnessed in ..

发布时间：2018-7-11|责任编辑：谢金丽