‘India set for record foodgrain output’

New Delhi: India is set for a record foodgrain output in the current crop year to June, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday, as last year's monsoon rains helped planting of winter crops.

"We will be approaching towards an all-time record food grains production in 2013/14," Pawar told reporters at an event of farm scientists.

India, the world's second biggest rice and wheat grower, produced 255.36 million tonnes of food grains in 2012/13. It had produced a record 259.29 million tonnes in the previous year.

Planting of winter season crops such as wheat and rapeseed are over, and they are maturing on an expected lines even though severe cold conditions in north India could have affected growth process of rapeseed crop in some growing pockets.

Pawar said timely arrival and uniform spread of monsoon during the kharif season of 2013 augured well for the agriculture sector.

"Against the backdrop of serious criticism of stagnated growth in Indian economy, the agriculture sector has achieved near-target growth in the second quarter of this fiscal in spite of several challenges," he said.

The growth rate in the agriculture and allied sector has improved to 4.6 per cent during the July-September period of the 2013-14 fiscal from 2.4 per cent in the first quarter.

Expressing concern over continuous dependence on import of pulses and edible oils, the Agriculture Minister called for more research efforts to boost the productivity and production of these commodities.

The country is expected to harvest a record 19 million tonnes of pulses this year, but still short of estimated demand, he added.