Despite flood in 15 States and loss of crops due to locust attack in Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat, record output in rice and wheat is likely, pushing up the foodgrains production in the country to an all-time high of around 291.95 million tonnes (MT) in the current year.

According to the second advance estimates of foodgrains production released by the Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday, the output projected for 2019-20 is 6.7 MT higher than the 2018-19 final estimates of 285.21 MT. The rice output during the same period is expected to be 117.47 MT (against 116.48 MT in 2018), while wheat is slated to hit a best-ever 106.21 MT (103.60 MT).

Wheat is the main rabi (winter) crop, harvesting of which will begin from next month. However, the production during 2019-20 is higher by 26.20 million tonnes than the previous five years’ (2013-14 to 2017-18) average production of foodgrain.

As per estimates, the cumulative rainfall in the country during the monsoon season (June to September, 2019) has been 10 per cent higher than Long Period Average (LPA). “Accordingly, the production of most of the crops for the agricultural year 2019-20 has been estimated higher than their normal production. These estimates are subject to revision on account of more precise information flowing over the time,” officials of the Agriculture Ministry said.

Total production of rice during 2019-20 is estimated at record 117.47 million tonnes.

It is higher by 9.67 million tonnes than the five years’ average production of 107.80 million tonnes. Production of wheat during 2019-20 is estimated at record 106.21 million tonnes. It is higher by 2.61 million tonnes as compared to wheat production during 2018-19 and is higher by 11.60 million tonnes than the average wheat production of 94.61 million tonnes.

Total Pulses production during 2019-20 is estimated at 23.02 million tonnes which is higher by 2.76 million tonnes than the five years’ average production of 20.26 million tonnes. Production of nutri/coarse cereals estimated at 45.24 million tonnes, which is higher by 2.18 million tonnes than the production of 43.06 million tonnes achieved during 2018-19. Further, it is also higher by 2.16 million tonnes than the average production. Total production of Sugarcane in the country during 2019-20 is estimated at 353.85 million tonnes. The production of sugarcane during 2019-20 is higher by 4.07 million tonnes than the average sugarcane production of 349.78 million tonnes.

Production of cotton is estimated at 34.89 million bales (of 170 kg each) is higher by 6.85 million bales than the production of 28.04 million bales during 2018-19. Production of jute and mesta is estimated at 9.81 million bales (of 180 kg each).