The country’s total foodgrain output has risen to 3,577.32 lakh tonnes, reflecting broad-based gains across cereals, pulses and oilseeds, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday.
Rice production has hit an all-time high of 1,501.84 lakh tonnes, up 123.59 lakh tonnes from the previous year’s 1,378.25 lakh tonnes. Wheat output has also set a fresh record at 1,179.45 lakh tonnes, marking a rise of 46.53 lakh tonnes over 2023-24. Among pulses, moong production has increased to 42.44 lakh tonnes, while chickpea output stands at 111.14 lakh tonnes.
Coarse cereals, too, have posted steady gains. Maize output is pegged at 434.09 lakh tonnes, compared with 376.65 lakh tonnes last year, while ‘Shri Anna’ (millets) production has reached 185.92 lakh tonnes, up from 175.72 lakh tonnes. Total production of nutri and coarse cereals is estimated at 639.21 lakh tonnes.
The minister highlighted a sharp rise in oilseed production – a critical segment for India’s edible oil security. Total oilseed output is estimated at a record 429.89 lakh tonnes, up 33.20 lakh tonnes from last year’s 396.69 lakh tonnes.
The increase is driven by bumper crops of soybean (152.68 lakh tonnes) and groundnut (119.42 lakh tonnes), both of which have posted double-digit gains over last season. Rapeseed and mustard output has been estimated at 126.67 lakh tonnes, the minister said in a statement.In commercial crops, sugarcane output stands at a substantial 4,546.11 lakh tonnes, supported by acreage expansion in key states. Cotton production is estimated at 297.24 lakh bales (170 kg each), while jute and mesta output has reached 88.02 lakh bales (180 kg each).