By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAY 10, 2017: THE 3rd Advance Estimates of production of major crops for 2016-17 was released yesterday by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare. The assessment of production of different crops is based on the feedback received from States and validated with information available from other sources. As a result of very good rainfall during monsoon 2016 and various policy initiatives taken by the Government, the country has witnessed record foodgrain production in the current year.

As a result of very good rainfall during monsoon 2016 and various policy initiatives taken by the Government, the country has witnessed record foodgrain production in the current year. As per Third Advance Estimates for 2016-17, total Foodgrain production in the country is estimated at 273.38 million tonnes which is higher by 8.34 million tonnes (3.15%) than the previous record production of Foodgrain of 265.04 million tonnes achieved during 2013-14.   The current year’s production is also higher by 16.37 million tonnes (6.37%) than the previous five years’ (2011-12 to 2015-16) average production of Foodgrains. The current year’s production is significantly higher by 21.81 million tonnes (8.67%) than the last year’s foodgrain production.
 
Total production of Rice is estimated at record 109.15 million tonnes which is also a new record.  This year’s Rice production is higher by 2.50 million tonnes (2.34%) than previous record production of 106.65 million tonnes achieved during 2013-14. It is also higher by 3.73 million tonnes (3.54%) than the five years’ average Rice production of 105.42 million tonnes. Production of rice has increased significantly by 4.74 million tonnes (4.54%) than the production of 104.41 million tonnes during 2015-16.  
 
Production of Wheat, estimated at 97.44 million tonnes is also a record. This year’s wheat production is higher by 1.66% than the previous record production of 95.85 million tonnes achieved during 2013-14.  Production of Wheat during 2016-17 is also higher by 4.83 million tonnes (5.21%) than the average wheat production. The current year’s production is higher by 5.15 million tonnes (5.58%) as compared to Wheat production of 92.29 million tonnes achieved during 2015-16.
 
Production of Coarse Cereals estimated at a new record level of 44.39 million tonnes is higher than the average production by 3.04 million tonnes (7.36%). It is higher than the previous record production of 43.40 million tonnes achieved during 2010-11 by 0.99 million tonnes (2.28%). Current year’s production is also higher by 5.87 million tonnes (15.23%) as compared to their production of 38.52 million tonnes achieved during 2015-16.         
 
As a result of significant increase in the area coverage and productivity of all major Pulses, total production of pulses during 2016-17 is estimated at 22.40 million tonnes which is higher by 3.15 million tonnes (16.37%) than the previous record production of 19.25 million tonnes achieved during 2013-14.  Production of Pulses during 2016-17 is also higher by 4.77 million tonnes (27.03%) than their Five years’ average production. Current year’s production is higher by 6.05 million tonnes (37.03%) than the previous year’s production of 16.35 million tonnes.