At 272 MT, record grain output likely

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 15

India’s foodgrain output is likely to hit a record 271.98 million tonnes in the 2016-17 crop year ending June, buoyed by good monsoon after two years of drought.

Most crops, including rice, wheat, coarse grains, pulses and oilseeds, are expected to outperform the past year’s production figures, as per the second advance estimates of production of major crops released today.

While rice will contribute a record 108.86 MT to the overall production, wheat output is estimated at 96.64 MT, coarse cereals at 44.34 MT, pulses at 22.14 MT and oilseeds at 33.60 MT, as per the assessment released by the Agriculture Ministry.

All figures are based on feedback from the states and validated with information available from other sources, say officials. The reasons for the cheer include a good monsoon in 2016 and conducive weather conditions during rabi season, though doubts persist on the quality of grains given the cash situation in the season.