Crop production 2008-09

For three consecutive years (2005-06 to 2007-08), food grains production recorded an average annual increase of over 10 million tonnes. The total foodgrains production in 2007-08 was estimated at 230.78 million tonnes as against 217.3 million tonnes in 2006-07 and 208.60 million tonnes in 2005-06.

As per the third advance estimates, production of foodgrains in 2008-09 is estimated to be 229.85 million tonnes, which is a marginal improvement of 1.97 million tonnes over the second advance estimates for 2008-09. This is, however, lower than the target of 233 million tonnes set out for the year as also the final estimates of 230.78 million tonnes for 2007-08 (Table 4).

Table 4 : Foodgrain production (million tonnes)

S. No.	Crop	2007-08	2008-09
		Final	Targets	3rd Advance Estimates	Percentage Increase (+) Decrease(-)    Over final 2007-08	Percentage Increase (+) Decrease(-) vis-à-vis  target for 2008-09
1	Rice	96.69	97	99.37	2.8	2.4
2	Wheat	78.57	78.5	77.63	-1.2	-1.1
3	Coarse cereals	40.76	42	38.67	-5.1	-7.9
4	Cereals	216.02	217.5	215.67	-0.2	-0.8
5	Total pulses	14.76	15.5	14.18	-3.9	-8.5
6	Total food grains	230.78	233	229.85	-0.4	-1.4

Cereal production

The overall production of cereals in 2008-09 has shown a decline of 0.2 per cent over 2007-08 and a shortfall of 0.8 per cent over target for the year. While rice production in 2008-09 exceeded both target for the year and the level in 2007-08, wheat production was marginally below the target for the year and production level achieved in 2007-08. In the case of coarse cereals, there has been a large shortfall both with reference to the targeted production as also the level achieved in the previous year.

Rice

As per the third advance estimates, the production of rice was 99.37 million tonnes in 2008-09, an increase of about 2.8 per cent over 2007-08 levels and 2.4 per cent over the target for 2008-09. The increase in the production of rice during the year was mainly on account of the kharif season output which was 3.4 per cent higher than the level achieved in corresponding period of 2007-08 and 3.0 per  cent over the target for the year. Rabi rice, on the other hand, is expected to be lower by, about 0.9 per cent over the 2007-08 production levels and by 0.6 per cent over targeted production for 2008-09.

Wheat

Wheat production is estimated at 77.63 million tonnes in 2008-09 against the target of 78.50 million tonnes. The production in 2008-09 is expected to be 1.2 per cent lower than the 2007-08 production level.

Coarse cereals

Total production of coarse cereals are expected to decline to 38.67 million tonnes against production of 40.76 million tonnes in 2007-08 and the 2008-09 target of 42 million tonnes. The kharif production is estimated at 28.31 million tonnes which is 11.2 per cent lower than the kharif production in

2007-08 and 13.2 per cent lower than the target for 2008-09. The decline in production in 2008-09 vis-àvis last year's production, is spread across jowar, bajra, maize, ragi and small millets. However production of barley shows an increase of 29.2 per cent over that of 2007-08.

Pulses

Total production of pulses is estimated at 14.18 million tonnes in 2008-09, which is 3.9 per cent lower than the production in 2007-08 and 8.5 per cent lower than the targeted production for 2008-09. The decline over the previous year is significant for the kharif season, which was only partially neutralized by the increase in production in the rabi crop.

Oilseeds

Total production of the nine oilseeds is estimated at 281.3 lakh tonnes, which is about 5.5 per cent lower than the production in 2007-08 and about 11.4 per cent lower than the targeted production for 2008-09. As compared to the previous year, there is a decline of 12.3 per cent in kharif oilseed production while in the rabi oilseed production, there is an increase of about 10.1 per cent (Table 5).

Table 5 : Production of commercial crops

Crop	Units	2007-08	2008-09
		Final	Targets	3rd Advance Estimates	Per cent Increase Over 2007-08	Per cent Increase vis-a vis target
Total Nine Oilseeds	Lakh tonnes	297.55	317.50	281.27	-5.5	-11.
Sugarcane	Lakh tonnes	3481.88	3400.00	2892.34	-16.9	-14.9
Cotton #	Lakh bales	258.84	260.00	232.68	-10.1	-10.5
Jute & Mesta # #	Lakh bales	112.11	110.00	103.28	-7.9	-6.1

Source : Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, # bales of 170 kgs each ## bales of 180 kgs.

Sugarcane

The production of sugarcane during 2008-09 is estimated at 2,892 lakh tonnes which is lower than the production of 3,482 lakh tonnes during 2007-08. This represents a decline of 16.9 per cent over previous year and of 14.9 per cent vis-a-vis the target for 2008-09.

Cotton

The production of cotton, estimated at 232.68 lakh bales, is short of the final estimates of 258.84 lakh bales in 2007-08 by 10.1 per cent and as compared to the target by 10.5 per cent.

Jute and mesta

The production of jute and mesta, estimated at 103.28 lakh bales in 2008-09, is lower than the targeted production of 110 lakh bales by 6.1 per cent and also lower than the production in 2007-08 by 7.9 per cent.

It therefore emerges that as per the present reckoning from third advance estimates for 2008-09, the production of coarse cereals, pulses, and most commercial crops (in particular, sugarcane and cotton) are lower than the levels achieved in 2007-08.