India has achieved a record foodgrain production of 3,322.98 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in the agriculture year 2023-24, surpassing the previous year’s production of 3,296.87 LMT, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare announced on Wednesday.
Rice and Wheat Lead Growth
Rice production reached 1,378.25 LMT, marking an increase of 20.70 LMT over the 2022-23 output of 1,357.55 LMT. Wheat production also set a new record at 1,132.92 LMT, rising by 27.38 LMT from last year’s total of 1,105.54 LMT. Millet production saw a slight rise to 175.72 LMT, up from 173.21 LMT.
Drought Affects Other Crops
Despite this record production, drought-like conditions in southern states and Rajasthan affected crops like pulses, coarse cereals, soybean, and cotton. Pulses production reached 242.46 LMT, while oilseeds production stood at 396.69 LMT, including soybean at 130.62 LMT. The ministry highlighted that total sugarcane production hit 4,531.58 LMT, and cotton production was recorded at 325.22 lakh bales.
These estimates are based on data from states, remote sensing, and crop experiments, the ministry stated. The area sown under cash crops like sugarcane, cotton, and jute increased to 18,935.22 thousand hectares from 18,214.19 thousand hectares in 2021-22.
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