Lok Sabha Question No. 5264 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-27
Subject: Production of Agricultural Crops
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL, SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5264

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  27 TH  MARCH, 2018

## PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS

5264.    SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL: SHRI SADASHIV LOKHANDE:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the estimated and actual production of major agricultural commodities/ crops during the years, 2015-16 and 2016-17;
- (b) whether there has been any rise/fall in the production of these commodities and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) per capita availability of foodgrains in the country;
- (d) whether the per capita availability of foodgrains is sufficient in the country and if not, the reasons therefor and the steps taken to improve this condition;
- (e) whether  there  is  a  rise  in  per  capita  availability  of  foodgrains,  considering  the mid-year estimate of population, as compared to last year and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the estimated demand of foodgrains for the next five years in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) & (b):     The production of major agricultural crops varies and exhibits a mixed trend on  year  to  year  basis  depending  on  variations  in  weather,  rainfall  situation,  irrigation facilities  and  shift  in  area  due  to  other  competing  crops.  The  details  of  production  of major agricultural crops during the years, 2015-16 and 2016-17 are as under:

(in million tonnes)

| Crops          |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|
| Rice           |    104.41 |    109.7  |
| Wheat          |     92.29 |     98.51 |
| Coarse Cereals |     38.52 |     43.77 |
| Pulses         |     16.35 |     23.13 |
| Oilseeds       |     25.25 |     31.28 |
| Sugarcane      |    348.45 |    306.07 |
| Jute & Mesta*  |     10.52 |     10.96 |

* Lakh Bales of 180 kgs. each.

(c) & (d): The  per  capita  availability  of  foodgrains  in  the  country  during  2017  is provisionally estimated at 184.7 kg. per year. However, there are no official estimates available for demand of foodgrains in the country for the current year.

Government  implements  various  programmes/schemes  viz.  Rashtriya  Krishi Vikas Yojana  (RKVY),  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM),  Bringing  Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Soil Health Card (SHC) etc. with the objective of increasing production and productivity of  agricultural  crops.  In  addition,  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  and State Agricultural Universities (SAU) have developed a number of improved varieties/hybrids  of  food  grain  crops  to  enhance  production  and  productivity  of  food crops.

Further,  Government  facilitates  imports  of  various  agricultural  commodities  to augment their domestic availability.

(e): Yes, Madam, there is rise in per capita availability of foodgrains. The per capita net availability of foodgrains along with the mid-year estimate of population for the year 2016 and 2017 are given as under:

| Year               |   Population (in '000) |   Net availability ('000 tonnes) |   Per capita net availability (kg. per year) |
|--------------------|------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| 2016               |                1273986 |                           226586 |                                        177.9 |
| 2017 (Provisional) |                1288522 |                           238029 |                                        184.7 |

(f): There are no official estimates available for demand of foodgrains in the country for  the  years  2018-19  to  2019-20  and  2021-22  to  2022-23.  However,  as  per  Twelfth Plan Working Group on Crop Husbandry, Demand and Supply Projections, Agricultural Inputs and Agricultural Statistics, the demand for foodgrains during 2020-21 is projected at 277 million tonnes.

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