Foodgrain production likely to hit record high for 2021-22: govt

The total foodgrains production in the country is pegged to reach an all-time record high of 316.06 million tonnes as per the Second Advance Estimates of production of major crops for the agricultural year 2021-22, released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Wednesday.

The estimated foodgrains production for agricultural year 2021-22 (July-June) is 1.71 per cent higher than 310.74 million tonnes recorded in 2020-21 and the target set for the current year, show the estimates. It shows that wheat production is also expected to reach at the highest ever level of 111.32 million tonnes during 2021-22, which is 1.58 per cent higher than 109.59 million tonnes during the last year. The total production of rice (kharif and rabi both) is also expected to reach an all-time record high of 127.93 million tonnes, which is 2.86 per cent higher than the last year’s rice output of 124.37 million tonnes.

In 2021-22, the production of 9 oilseeds–groundnut, castorseed, sesamum, nigerseed, soyabean, sunflower, rapeseed & mustard, linseed and safflower– is estimated to at 371.47 million tonnes, which is 3.34 per cent higher than 359.46 million tonnes recorded during the last year.

The rabi oilseed production is expected to reach 133.32 million tonnes in the current year, which is 9.06 per cent higher than the last year’s figure of 122.24 million tonnes. The production of rapeseed & mustard, which is the main rabi oilseed crop, is expected to reach at a record level of 114.59 million tonnes–12.24 per cent higher than last year’s figure of 102.10 million tonnes.

The increase in rapeseed and mustard production is significant because the edible oil prices, particularly mustard oil prices, have soared to a record high in recent months. According to the data available on the Ministry’ website, on 16th February, 2022, the all-India average retail price of groundnut oil was reported at Rs 179.42 per kg, mustard oil at Rs 190.11 per kg, vanaspati Rs 141.10 per kg, soya oil Rs 147.39 per kg, sunflower oil 160.83 per kg and palm oil Rs 131.06 per kg. The average retail prices of these six edible oils are higher in the range 10.34% to 30.49% when compared to the prices a year ago.

The pulses production is estimated to increase by 5.87 percent to 26.96 million tonnes in 2021-22 from 25.46 million tonnes in the last year.

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