Government Sets Rabi Foodgrains Target at 161 Million Tonnes
The Indian government has announced the rabi foodgrains production target for the 2023-24 crop year at 161.2 million tonnes (mt). This is part of the national target to achieve a total foodgrains production of 332 mt in the same period. The aim is to attain a record wheat output of 114 mt in the rabi season, compared to the estimated output of 112.74 mt in the previous year.
With changing weather conditions, the government plans to bring 60% of the total wheat area (30 million hectares) under climate-resistant varieties. Last year, extreme heatwaves and uneven distribution of monsoon rain affected crop quality and output, particularly of wheat. The sowing of wheat, the main winter crop, begins in October, and harvesting takes place in March-April.
During a national conference on Rabi crops, Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja highlighted the importance of climate-resilient seeds in tackling the challenges posed by climate change. He emphasized the need to focus on self-sufficiency in producing pulses and oilseeds, as their production has decreased in recent years.
For the upcoming rabi season, the production targets have been set at 18.1 mt for pulses and 14.5 mt for oilseeds. To address yield gaps and promote crop diversification, the government aims to increase the area under oilseeds through inter-cropping and adoption of high-yielding varieties and agronomic practices in low-yielding regions.
The government has set a vision to make India self-sufficient in pulses and oilseeds production. By 2025, the target is to achieve a production level of 32.5 million tonnes for pulses. Special projects, inter-cropping, and expansion in high-potential and non-conventional regions will help increase domestic production of oilseeds.
In order to reduce import dependency, the government aims to increase annual edible oilseed production from the current level of 36.2 mt to 54.1 mt by 2025-26, thereby lowering import dependency from 56% to 36% in the next five years.
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Fertilizer Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra stressed the timely supply of fertilizers and balanced use of crop nutrients, citing fertilizers as a crucial input influencing crop production. He highlighted the potential of nano urea and DAP fertilizers as the future of the industry.
The conference served as a platform to evaluate and analyze the performance of crops in the past seasons. It aimed to establish specific targets for the upcoming rabi season in collaboration with state governments. The key objectives were to ensure the availability of essential agricultural inputs and promote the adoption of innovative technologies. The ultimate goal was to enhance both crop production and productivity.
Government Sets Rabi Foodgrains Target at 161 Million Tonnes -CLICK TO TWEET
