Kharif Food Grain Production Projected to Increase in 2024-25
India’s Kharif food grain production for the 2024-25 season is expected to rise by 5.7% compared to the previous year, reaching 1647.05 lakh metric tonnes (LMT). This increase is largely driven by higher yields of rice, maize, coarse grains, and oilseeds. However, pulses production, particularly tur, urad, and moong, is expected to decline further, contributing to higher prices.
Rice production is projected at 1199.34 LMT, an increase of 66.75 LMT from the previous year, while maize and coarse cereals are estimated to reach 245.41 LMT and 378.18 LMT, respectively. The oilseeds production is also expected to rise to 257.45 LMT, with groundnut and soybean seeing increases.
Despite these gains, the country faces challenges in pulses production, with tur and urad yields decreasing annually. The government plans to intervene in the market to manage prices by releasing cheaper retail pulses. Additionally, the ministry has adopted digital crop survey data to improve accuracy in area estimation, contributing to a rise in rice production, especially in Uttar Pradesh.
Overall, while the country anticipates significant increases in certain crops, the dip in pulses production remains a concern, with the impact on pricing being closely monitored. The production estimates will be revised based on actual yield data from crop-cutting experiments at harvest time.
