India likely to achieve record wheat, foodgrain output: Pawar
The company further said that it has unnecessarily been caught in this situation of cancelled licenses, just because the licenses were granted in January, 2008 which was as late as 18 months from the date of application.
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today expressed optimism that the government will achieve the targeted foodgrain production of record 245 million tonnes for 2011-12 crop year and the country will harvest an all-time high wheat output.
"Wheat production will be much more than last year. The weather condition is good and acreage is also higher," Pawar told PTI.
India produced a record wheat production at 85.93 million tonnes in 2010-11 crop year (July-June). Foodgrains (comprising wheat, rice, coarse cereals and pulses) output also stood at record 241.56 million tonnes in last crop year.
Asked whether foodgrains production target of 245 million tonnes would be achieved considering lower acreage of pulses and rice so far in the current rabi season, Pawar said: "it (target) will be achieved".
According to the data compiled by the Agriculture Ministry till January 27 of the current rabi season, wheat acreage is higher at 295.30 lakh hectares as against 291.63 lakh hectares in the same period of last rabi season.
However, the acreage of rice is lower at 17.64 lakh hectare compared with 19.27 lakh hectare. The sowing area of coarse cereals, too, has declined to 58.50 lakh hectares from 59.43 lakh hectares.
In case of pulses also, the acreage has fallen to 145.86 lakh hectares from 146.76 lakh hectares during the period under review.
Rice production stood at 95.32 million tonnes in 2010-11 crop year and the government has kept a target of a record 102 million tonnes for this year, which seems to be achievable considering that rice output in Kharif is estimated at record 87.1 million tonnes.
The production of pulses stood at an all time high of 18.09 million tonnes in 2010-11 crop year and it could be difficult to surpass this figure in 2011-12 looking at lower production estimate in the Kharif season at 6.43 million tonnes and drop in acreage in the ongoing rabi season.