India is all set to register the record foodgrain production this year. According to the report, Rabi production of 105.6 million tones in 2006-07 has surpassed the previous record of 104.3 million tonnes in 1999-2000. India is also ready to register a record production of soyabean, cotton, maize and sugarcane in the current Kharif season.

However, the production in rice is likely to be marginal this year. Rice production would be expectedly remained at 80 million tones as it was in last year. The agriculture experts have expressed confidence that Rice production, a major Kharif crop, would not go down this year.

At the same time, the government has estimated the foodgrain production in 2007-8 Kharif season at 112.24 million tonnes. The target to increase the production is also high for the next Rabi season too.

On Wednesday, the officials discussed the strategies for increasing production by way of increased area coverage and productivity in the two-day Rabi conference.

According to reports, the coarse cereal production is likely to be increased by 9 lakhs tones to reach at 26.58 million tones this year. Pulse production, at 5.51 million tonnes in 2006-7, is expected to be up by 7.7 lakh tonnes.

Oilseeds production is likely to be increased by 2.2 million tonnes. Groundnut production is expected to be go up by 1.9 million tonnes. Soyabean, cotton and maize would also increase by record numbers.

However, the wheat production is again the area of concern for the coming season and the government has started distributing high-yielding seed variety to cover the expected demand-supply gap this year.

PK Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, said that these are the real landmarks in production during 2006-7. But, still there was little room for complacency on these achievements. The production has not yet kept pace with the demand particularly in the production of Rice, Wheat, oilseeds and pulses.

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