India records highest ever foodgrain production

As per the latest estimates, India has produced 235.88 million tonnes offoodgrains during 2010-11 compared to 218.11 million tonnes in the previous year. This is highest ever foodgrains production, surpassing the earlier record of 234.47 million tonnes achieved in 2008-09.

It may also be noted that the production of wheat, estimated at 84.27 million tones, is an all time record. Similarly, production of pulses, estimated at 17.29 million tones, is an all time record.

Despite a setback in the production of rice due to drought in some of the major rice producing areas in the country, foodgrains production reached the record level due to significant improvement in production of wheat, pulses and coarse cereals.

Contributed by steady increase in production of soyabean and a quantum jump of 2.62 million tonnes over its production during 2009-10, the oilseeds production, estimated at 30.25 million tones, is also an all time record.

Cotton production has increased from 24.23 million bales in 2009-10 to 33.93 million bales in 2010-11.

The production of sugarcane, which had attained a record level of 355.52 million tonnes during 2006-07 and declined in subsequent years, has again started witnessing increasing trend with an estimated production of 340.55 million tonnes in the current year.

The production estimates for major crops for 2010-11 are as follows:

Foodgrains ? 235.88 million tonnes: highest ever
Rice ? 94.11 million tonnes
Wheat ? 84.27 million tonnes: highest ever
Coarse Cereals ? 40.21 million tonnes
Maize ? 20.23 million tonnes
Pulses ? 17.29 million tonnes: highest ever
Tur ? 3.15 million tonnes
Urad ? 1.82 million tonnes
Moong ? 1.37 million tonnes

Oilseeds ? 30.25 million tonnes: highest ever
Soyabean ? 12.59 million tonnes
Groundnut ? 7.09 million tonnes

Cotton ? 33.93 million bales of 170 kg each: highest ever

Sugarcane ? 340.55 million tonnes