Govt projects record foodgrain production, lower wheat output in 2021-22 crop year

New Delhi: India's wheat production is projected to have declined nearly 3 per cent to 106.84 million tonnes while the overall foodgrain production is estimated to have touched record 315.72 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year.

The wheat production is estimated to have declined due to heatwave that resulted in shrivelled grains in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana.

Releasing the fourth advance estimate for the 2021-22 crop year, the Union agriculture ministry on Wednesday said a record output is also estimated for rice, maize, gram, pulses, rapeseed and mustard, oilseeds and sugarcane.

The crop year 2021-22 was from July 2021 to June 2022.

The country's overall foodgrain production is estimated to be record 315.72 million tonnes in the crop year that ended in June 2022, according to the ministry.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said record production of so many crops was the result of the government's farmer-friendly policies as well as tireless hard work of the farmers and the diligence of the scientists.

In the 2020-21 crop year, the country's foodgrain output, comprising wheat, rice, pulses and coarse cereals, stood at record 310.74 million tonnes.

As per the data, wheat production is pegged lower at 106.84 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year as against 109.59 million tonnes in the previous year.

However, rice production is projected at record 130.29 million tonnes in the crop year under review as against 124.37 million tonnes in the year-ago period.

The ministry said the output of coarse cereals is likely to decline to 50.90 million tonnes from 51.32 million tonnes.

Pulses output is estimated to be at record 27.69 million tonnes compared to 25.46 million tonnes in the 2020-21 crop year.

In the non-foodgrain category, the production of oilseeds is projected to be record 37.69 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year as against 35.94 million tonnes in the previous year.

Rapeseed/mustard seed production is pegged at record 17.74 million tonnes for the 2021-22 crop year.

According to the data, sugarcane production is estimated at record 431.8 million tonnes compared to 405.39 million tonnes in the previous year while cotton output is expected to drop to 31.2 million bales (170 kg each) from 35.24 million bales.

Production of jute/mesta is estimated to be 10.31 million bales (180 kg each) in the 2021-22 crop year as against 9.35 million bales in the previous year.

In a crop year, he government releases four estimates before the final one at different stages of crop growth and harvesting period.