New Delhi, Feb 29 (PTI) The government on Thursday pegged wheat output at a record 112.01 million tonnes for the 2023-24 crop year (July-June) in its second advance estimate ahead of the harvesting season.
The wheat output is estimated to be 1.46 million tonnes higher than the previous record of 110.55 million tonnes achieved in the 2022-23 crop year.
Releasing the second advance foodgrains production estimate, the Agriculture Ministry said wheat production would be 112.01 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year.
Wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, is ready for harvest and procurement is set to begin from next month onwards in some states.
The government has set a conservative procurement target in the range of 30-32 million tonnes for the 2024-25 rabi marketing season (March-April), as against the actual procurement of 26.2 million tonnes in the previous year.
Wheat is procured by the central and state agencies at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,275 per quintal.
However, rabi rice production is projected at 12.35 million tonnes for the 2023-24 crop year, lower than 15 million tonnes in the year-ago period.
Even rabi maize production is likely to remain down at 9.75 million tonnes against 11.69 million tonnes in the period under the review.
Jowar production in the rabi season of the 2023-24 crop year is estimated to be slightly higher at 2.48 million tonnes, as against 2.32 million tonnes in the year-ago period.
Production of coarse cereals during the 2023-24 rabi season is estimated at 14.46 million tonnes against 15.92 million tonnes in the year-ago period.
Among pulses grown in the rabi season, the ministry projected gram output marginally down at 12.16 million tonnes in 2023-24 crop year against 12.26 million tonnes in the year-ago period.
Lentil production is estimated higher at 1.63 million tonnes in rabi 2023-24 than 1.55 million tonnes in the year-ago period.
Among oilseeds, rapeseed/mustard production is projected to 12.69 million tonnes in the 2023-24 rabi season, as against 12.64 million tonnes in the year-ago period.
Total rabi oilseeds production is projected at 13.75 million tonnes this year, as against 14.15 million tonnes in the year-ago period.
The overall rabi foodgrains output is projected to be marginally down at 155.16 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year as against 157.84 million tonnes in the year-ago season.
Along with rabi foodgrains production estimates, the ministry has released kharif foodgrains production for the 2023-24 crop year. Rice, and pulses like tur, cotton and sugarcane are the main kharif crops.
Kharif rice output is pegged at 111.45 million tonnes, tur output is estimated to be 3.33 million tonnes same as last year’s level, while soyabean at 22.72 million tonnes in the same period.
Cotton production is pegged at 32.31 million bales (of 170 kg each), and sugarcane at 446.43 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year.
Total kharif foodgrain production is pegged at 154.18 million tonnes in 2023-24 crop year, as against 155.71 million tonnes in the previous year.
The ministry said while preparing the kharif crop production estimates the Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) based yield has been considered.
However, states are still in the process of compiling the results of kharif CCEs. Further, CCEs of a few crops viz., Tur, Sugarcane, Castor etc. are still ongoing.
The rabi crop production is based on the preliminary area sown report and the average yield. Therefore, these figures are subject to change in the successive estimates on the receipt of better yield estimates based on CCEs. The production of various summer crops will be included in the forthcoming third advance estimates.
The ministry comes out with three estimates before the final projections at different stages of plant growth and harvesting. PTI LUX MR
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