Rice production estimated at record 102.36 million tonnes in 2020-21 kharif season: Government

India's rice production is estimated at record 102.36 million tonnes in kharif season of 2020-21 crop year on the back of good monsoon rains and acreage, according to government data. Rice production stood at 101.98 MT in the kharif (summer sown) season of the 2019-20 crop year (July-June).

The Union Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday released the First Advance Estimates of production of major kharif crops for 2020-21. As per the data, the total food grains output in the kharif season of 2020-21 crop year is estimated data record 144.52 MT as against 143.38 MT in the previous year.

The output of nutri/coarse cereals is estimated to decline to 32.84 MT as against 33.69 MT in the previous year. Pulses production has been pegged higher at9.31 MT as against 7.72 MT in kharif season of last year.

In the non-foodgrains category,oilseeds production in kharif season is estimated at25.73 MT as against 22.31 MT last year. Cotton production is pegged at 37.12 million bales (of 170 kg each) in kharif season of 2020-21 from 35.49 million bales in the previous year.

The output of sugarcane is likely to rise to 399.83 MT from 355.7 MT, the data showed. "The cumulative rainfall during this year's southwest monsoon season up to 16th September, 2020 has been 7 per cent higher than Long Period Average (LPA).

Accordingly, most of the major crops producing states have witnessed normal rainfall," an official statement said. The production of most of the crops for the agricultural year 2020-21 has been estimated higher than their normal production. However, these estimates would undergo revision based on further feedback from the states.