Foodgrain production is predicted to increase this fiscal year due to an increase in the sowing area supported by above-normal monsoon rainfall. However, there would be no bumper crop due to crop damage in some states.
In a conference on Tuesday, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said: “Foodgrain production in India for 2025-26 is estimated to be 362.50 million tonnes (mt), marking a 2.4% increase from the level seen a year ago”.
What do the Agri Ministry’s 3rd advance estimates say about foodgrain production?
The agriculture ministry in may released the third advance estimates, which showed that the country achieved a record foodgrain production of 353.96 mt in the fiscal year 2024-25, implicitly, 21.66 mt higher than the production of 332.30 mt in 2023-24, signifying an increase of nearly 6.5%. Notably, the country achieved record harvests in major crops such as rice, wheat, maize, groundnut, and soybean. This output was 12.41 mt higher than the target of 341.55 mt.
When it comes to the Fiscal year 2025-26,
we could rely on the forecast given by the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD which is of an above normal monsoon at 106% of the long period average. As per the forecast, the sowing of kharif crops sown in June to October, such as paddy, pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds, sugarcane and cotton, has been completed in nearly 111 million hectares compared to the normal sown area of 109.6 million hectares in the kharif season.
No bumper Crop and due to Crop damage
Notably, States including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have witnessed a tremendous crop damage due to the heavy rainfall. A senior agricultural official said that no bumper crop would take place. However, there has been a surge in the area in the kharif season. Whereas the state agriculture minister said that the government is trying to provide immediate relief to those affected.