Government expects higher summer crop

New Delhi: India would have a higher summer (kharif) crop this season due to the good rains and an increased area coming under cultivation, Agriculture Secretary P.K. Mishra said on Tuesday.

"Good rains, and higher government rates for staple yields like rice and wheat will boost overall production," Mishra told reporters here on the margins of a workshop on improving agricultural statistics.

The government has fixed minimum support price (MSP) at 1,000 rupees (Dh85) per 100 kilograms for wheat, and 850 rupees (Dh72) per 100 kilograms for rice.

Mishra, however, said there would be a slight fall in the area cultivating sugarcane, but the overall output might not be affected.

"A slight decrease in acreage does not mean less production of sugarcane," Mishra said, adding that farmers would always go for crops which gave them better prices.

As per government data, rice is being cultivated on an area of over 3 million hectares as of June 26, against the 2.84 million hectares in the corresponding period last year.

The official estimates put rice demand in India at 128 million tonnes for 2012 and will require a production level of 3,000 kilograms per hectare against the present average yield of 1,930 kilograms per hectare.

The government has set a production target of 129 million tonnes of rice by 2011-12, while consumption in 2006-07 was 88.25 million tonnes. In April 2008, rice production went up to 95.68 million tonnes. Official data showed agriculture, comprising fishery and forest products, grew at the rate of 4.5 per cent in 2007-08 against 3.8 per cent in 2006-07.

Mishra said the state agriculture and statistics departments should work together for higher precision in data collection and timely compilation.