Rice production to touch record high, says Centre

New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday said the country's rice production is likely to touch a record  high of 119.93 million tonne (MT) in the 2024-25 kharif season following good monsoon. 

According to  first advance estimate released by Union Ministry of Agriculture, rice production is projected 6.67 million tonne higher than the previous year's Kharif season production 113.26 million tonne. 

With harvesting of the Kharif crop already having started across the country, the ministry estimates total foodgrain production at 164.70 MT for the 2024-25 Kharif season, higher than 155.76 MT last year.

In a first, the ministry prepared area estimates using Digital Crop Survey (DCS) data under the Digital Agriculture Mission, replacing the manual Girdawari system. 

Among coarse cereals, maize output is estimated at an all-time high of 24.54 MT for the 2024-25 kharif season (July-June), up from 22.24 MT last year. While jowar production is estimated higher at 2.19 MT, bajra output is likely to decline to 9.37 MT.

Total coarse cereals production is pegged lower at 37.81 MT against 56.93 million tonne in the year-ago period.

Pulses output is expected to remain almost flat at 6.95 MT compared to 6.97 MT, while oilseeds production is likely to increase to 25.74 MT from 24.16 MT. India relies on imports to meet domestic shortages of pulses and oilseeds.

Among cash crops, sugarcane production is projected to decline to 439.93 MT from 453.15 MT last year.

Cotton output is estimated lower at 29.92 million bales (170 kg each) against 32.52 million bales, while jute/mesta production may fall to 8.45 million bales (180 kg each) from 9.69 million bales, said a statement from the Ministry.