The Hindu : Record foodgrain output estimated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 29, 2002

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Record foodgrain output estimated

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi June 28. The Government estimates foodgrain output to be a record high of 211.32 million tonnes in 2001-02 as against 195.92 million tonnes last year, despite a shortfall in wheat production, marking a growth of 7.8 per cent. The fourth advance estimates were finalised on Thursday at an all-India statistical conference convened by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation here.

The Ministry has estimated the agriculture and allied sector annual growth rate to be 6.12 per cent with the total output valued at Rs. 3.6 lakh crores in 2001-02 over Rs. 3.40 lakh crores in 2000-01. The allied sector includes livestock, fishery, horticulture, animal husbandry and forestry.

If the Ministry's figure is at variance with the GDP figure released recently by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO), which pegged the growth rate at 5.7 per cent, it is because of the different methodology adopted, Agriculture Ministry officials said here today.

They've taken an average of five years for computing the value of allied sector, figures for which are not readily available.

Talking to presspersons after receiving a report on Agricultural Marketing, the Agriculture Minister, Ajit Singh, said the most significant growth of 26.71 and 12.6 per cent respectively had been in pulses and oilseeds even though the country remained deficient in both the commodities. Cereals have shown a growth of 6.7 per cent, up from Rs. 80815.18 crores to 86290.11 crores. The only commodity to have shown a negative growth of 2.3 per cent was sugarcane.

The fourth advance estimates of the Ministry's agriculture output says that while wheat output is expected to drop by 2.71 million tonnes, rice production is likely to be up by 6.74 million tonnes. There is a likelihood of improvement in edible oils, coarse cereals and pulses output as per the advance estimate. The wheat output is estimated at 71.47 million tonnes for 2001-01, as against 68.76 million tonnes production the previous year. However, rice output is expected to be the highest so far at 91.61 million tonnes. It was 84.87 million tonnes in 2000-01.Coarse cereals are estimated to be 27.06 million tonnes over 25.55 million tonnes the previous year. Pulses might show a slight improvement since 1999-2000 at 5.09 million tonnes as against 4.47 million tonnes in 2000-01.

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